As if news of Deshaun Watson being out for the year could get any worse, Jay Glazer reminded us all how much the Cleveland Browns gave up to get him and how much they paid for him. The NFL insider for FOX said that Watson is on the books for the next three seasons after this at $46 million per year, fully guaranteed. Cleveland would have to take a $64 million cap hit for every year he is released early.
Factor in that the Browns had to give up nine picks to the Houston Texans, including a first and a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, you can see how poor of an investment this has been for the Browns in the short-term, medium-term and possibly long-term. He will not be completely off the books for the Browns until 2027 NFL free agency. Plus, he is not the same player he once was.
Not to say that Watson cannot bounce back next year and beyond, but the first two seasons of his fully guaranteed contract have largely gone up in smoke. The Browns are actually playing good football this season, but their ceiling is now grossly limited with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson serving as their starting quarterback the rest of the way. If he fails, then you just have P.J. Walker left.
Here is Glazer breaking down the financial implications for Cleveland regarding Watson's contract.
This is the latest example of why the bad teams in the NFL always seem to stay bad. Stuff like this.
NFL insider says the Cleveland Browns are stuck with Deshaun Watson
Desperate times call for desperate measures, especially when you are a desperate organization like the Browns. When Watson was trying to figure out where he was going to play next, all signs pointed to him suiting up for his hometown Atlanta Falcons. He grew up close to the team's headquarters in Flowery Branch and had a personal connection with owner Arthur Blank from his days in high school.
But when the Browns sweetened their offer to something Houston could not refuse, Watson went to Cleveland. The fully guaranteed nature of Watson's deal was a gross outlier for so many reasons in league circles. The whole nature of it all felt so incredibly slimy. After being suspended for 11 games only a year ago, Watson will not have played a full season of games over his first two years combined.
Ultimately, Cleveland better hope that Watson can make a full recovery from his shoulder injury because the Browns could be cooked otherwise. He may not ever be the same player he was coming out of Clemson, but he needs to be a top-half of the league-caliber quarterback when he returns next season. If he cannot be that, then the Browns paid a fortune to drive a rotting lemon around the block.
You see those two financial figures and should be thankful you are not running the Browns' operation.
