When the Cleveland Browns made the unprecedented move to sign Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract, they aimed to solidify their quarterback position for years to come. Fast forward to today, and the future is clouded with uncertainty. Watson’s performance has failed to live up to the hype, leaving the Browns with a costly contract and an uncertain quarterback situation.
Is Deshaun Watson still the future for Browns?
When the Cleveland Browns signed Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract, it sent a bold message. Whether it was the right one remains up for debate, but now the Browns are stuck with this massive deal for years.
Watson’s play hasn’t come close to justifying the contract. He was sidelined with a shoulder injury in October, and since then, he’s been largely out of the spotlight, with the exception of a trip to Miami with his girlfriend, Jilly Anais.
With Watson out, the Browns turned to Jameis Winston, but he was inactive in their recent loss to the Bengals. Dorian Thompson-Robinson stepped in but struggled, throwing for just 157 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Browns fell to their 12th loss of the season.
Afterward, Myles Garrett was asked about Watson’s future, as questions linger about the quarterback position in 2025.
“Once he’s ready and willing to come back, I’m going to support whoever’s behind center,” Garrett said. “That’s no dig at Deshaun. I’m hoping he’s ready when the time comes but that’s a tough injury to come back from. We don’t know his timetable. Always hoping for the best with him.
“He’s been a hell of a teammate and a hell of a person while he’s been with us. Even off the field helping support so many things we’re passionate about. It’s definitely no dig or any smoke between us.” (via: Sportskeeda)
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Could Cleveland Browns part ways with Deshaun Watson in 2025?
In recent years, NFL teams have shown an increasing willingness to part ways with their hefty investments in star quarterbacks. Russell Wilson’s eye-watering contract didn’t prevent the Denver Broncos from moving on, and now the Atlanta Falcons are seemingly following suit, despite locking Kirk Cousins into a hefty four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed this past summer.
But when it comes to Deshaun Watson, the situation is far more complicated. His contract, often regarded as one of the worst in the league, presents a significant financial dilemma for the Cleveland Browns. If the team were to part ways with Watson this summer, his dead-cap hit for 2025 would skyrocket to a staggering $118.9 million—$92 million of that in cash. And the following year wouldn’t offer much relief, with the 2026 dead-cap hit reaching $53.8 million. These numbers would shatter records, standing as the largest dead-cap hits in NFL history.
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