The Cleveland Browns restructured the Deshaun Watson contract for the second consecutive year, pushing back money they owed him this season into future years. While the organization still hopes Watson can live up to the deal, some in the NFL believe it’s already too late.
Cleveland paid a historic price to land Watson from the Houston Texans ahead of the 2022 NFL season. The Browns traded three first-round picks and multiple Day 2 picks to Houston for the 27-year-old quarterback. Immediately after, Cleveland made him one of the highest-paid NFL players with an unprecedented fully guaranteed contract.
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- Deshaun Watson contract (Spotrac): $27.942 million cap hit in 2024, $72.935 million cap hit in 2025, $72.935 million cap hit in 2026, $26.9 million in dead money in 2027
The on-field results have been disastrous. Between his suspension following two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct and injuries, Watson has played just 12 total games as the Browns starting quarterback. Now, coming off a summer that saw him miss time with shoulder soreness, there are some around the NFL questioning Watson’s commitment to football.
Speaking to Mike Sando of The Athletic, one NFL coach questioned if Watson’s dramatic fall-off from his outstanding play in Houston has to do with his commitment and love for the game.
“I winder if he loves it enough. He should be way better than this.”
Anonymous NFL coach on Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson
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- Deshaun Watson stats (Pro Football Reference): 81.7 QB rating, 184.8 passing yards per game, 59.8% completion rate, 14-9 TD-INT, 37 sacks taken, 2,217 passing yards in 12 games with Cleveland Browns
The criticism came from The Athletic’s NFL quarterback tiers 2024. In the rankings, Watson was voted as the 18th-best quarterback in the NFL. One NFL executive blamed Watson’s woes on being a poor schematic fit with Kevin Stefanski, while suggesting there is “something missing” right now.
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Unfortunately for Cleveland, the reports from Browns training camp this summer weren’t positive. When Watson wasn’t sidelined by “shoulder soreness” in August, his performance fluctuated in training camp. It’s also been reported that Jameis Winston is the leader of the Browns locker room, not Watson.
To make matters worse for the Browns front office, the decision to restructure his contract this year makes it even harder for the team to move on from him in 2025. If Watson fails to meet expectations this year, while playing for a roster capable of contending for a Super Bowl, his acquisition could go down as one of the worst in sports history.
