Deshaun Watson hasn’t quite delivered what many Browns fans expected from his $230 million price tag. His already disappointing 2024 season ended after he ruptured his Achilles on Sunday, yet the team will still have to pay Watson for the rest of the season, making it quite the financial burden they signed up for.
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Back in 2022, the Browns gave up three first-round picks to trade for Watson and then signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. His debut season saw him suspended for 11 games due to pending lawsuits, and things only worsened for the quarterback with back-to-back injuries.
And regardless of how he performed over the past two seasons, Watson has been paid $137 million for just 19 games so far, making his per-game check come out to $7.2 million.
Deshaun Watson has been paid $137M for 19 games of work with the #Browns.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) October 21, 2024
One could very well argue that the $230 million deal has been one of the biggest setbacks an NFL team has faced. However, the Browns did make one smart move before the start of the 2024 season, which will save them a significant $13.9 million.
Browns’ clever tactic to reduce the cap credit
The Browns had been splurging $46 million a year for Watson over the course of the past 2 seasons and would have to pay him the same amount by the end of this season, despite the horrendous performance, since it’s a guaranteed contract.
While a guaranteed contract requires the team to pay the player even during injuries or absence, the Browns made the decision to insure $13.9 million, reducing the salary cap credit for the Browns in 2025, as reported by Spotrac.
There is no such scenario where the Browns get to cut Watson off the team and not have to endure a hefty buyout amount of a minimum of $118 million. The QB’s contract was restructured before this season and as per the clauses, if he’s released before June 1st, 2025, the cap hit would amount to a staggering $172 million.
On the other hand, if the Browns choose to cut Watson after June 1st, they’d have to pay him $118 million. Either way, the Browns’ wallets would have to be turned upside down, making Watson’s injury one of the biggest setbacks the team has ever faced.
