Browns Make Critical Adjustment To Deshaun Watson's Contract

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry is clearing cap space ahead of the 2025 new league year

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Andrew Berry started working his magic on Thursday in an effort to get the Cleveland Browns back under the salary cap.

In an expected move, the Browns' general manager executed a restructure of embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson's contract in order to create nearly $36 million in salary cap space.

ESPN's Field Yates was the first to report the Browns' salary cap maneuver. Berry converted $44 million of Watson's base salary number for 2025 into signing bonus money and added a void year onto the end of the deal in 2029.

The Browns have restructured the contract of QB Deshaun Watson, creating nearly $36M in 2025 cap space.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 6, 2025

By doing that, Cleveland can spread the restructured money out over the course of the remaining years, which – including the dummy years – runs through 2029. Berry has essentially created a longer-term financial burden to provide some short-term relief.

It's also a move Berry has utilized in each of the last two offseasons, and it comes with less than a week to go until NFL free agency officially opens up at 4 p.m. next Wednesday, signifying the start of the new league year.

That $44 million spread out over the next five years equates to an $8.993 million charge per year. Factoring in the two previous restructures, the Browns are slated to be on the hook for over $50 million after the final true year of Watson's deal in 2026.

Including the team's rollover cap space from 2024 and the dead money they must account for this season, the Browns currently have about $13 milion in space to use heading into next week.

Read More Cleveland Browns Coverage