Browns Restructure Deshaun Watson Contract in Massive Salary Cap Clearing Move

Cleveland is getting their books ready ahead of NFL free agency.

Watson is recovering from two Achilles tears. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns are setting themselves up to make some moves ahead of the 2025 NFL league year.

According to multiple reports, the team has restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's contract in a move that clears $35.8 million in salary cap space. This is the second time in the last calendar year that Cleveland has restructured the deal.

Cap-clearing season:#Browns did a simple restructure on Deshaun Watson’s contract, clearing $35.8 million #Cowboys did a simple restructure on Dak Prescott’s contract, clearing $36.6M#Seahawks’ release of WR Tyler Lockett cleared $17M#Dolphins OT Terron Armstead’s salary… pic.twitter.com/sDIXp9DQPF

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 6, 2025

After being traded from the Houston Texans in the spring of 2022, Watson signed a five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns—the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history. Since then, he's played in just 19 games, is 9-10 as a starter, and is coming off of an Achilles tear—which he re-ruptured during rehab—and could miss the entirety of next season.

Cleveland currently holds the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL draft and according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Browns are "widely expected" to use it to select one of the top two quarterbacks in the class—either Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

“There's a strong chance Watson has played his final game as a Brown," Graziano added. "Cleveland is thinking about what comes next at the position.”

This contract restructure only solidifies that.

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