Nobody has to tell the Cleveland Browns or their fans that they aren’t getting much value out of Deshaun Watson’s contract. The quarterback’s record-breaking deal has been an albatross for the team ever since it was granted before the 2022 season.
However, it might not be the only contract that isn’t delivering a worthwhile return. Even though Denzel Ward has made the Pro Bowl three straight years, the cornerback has a salary cap charge that arguably exceeds his on-field value.
With that in mind, analyst Brad Gagnon has named Watson and Ward as the Browns’ two most overpaid players in 2026.
“The 12th-highest-paid player in football has thrown 19 touchdown passes since the end of the 2020 season. Enough said. Since this is such an obvious pick, we’ll also mention declining cornerback Denzel Ward and his ridiculous $30.9 million 2026 cap hit,” Gagnon wrote.
After acquiring Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans, the Browns gave him a five-year, $230 million deal that still holds the record for the largest fully guaranteed contract in NFL history. Though the Browns have annually restructured it to ease its salary cap burden, there is no way around the fact that Watson has played in just 19 of 68 possible games for Cleveland due to an NFL suspension and multiple season-ending injuries.
Ward is playing on a five-year, $100.5 million extension that runs through the 2027 season. There was some thought this offseason that the Browns would part with him due to his salary cap burden, but he looks to be on his way to being on the roster again this season.
By comparison, defensive end Myles Garrett, who just set the NFL single-season record for sacks and has been the Defensive Player of the Year twice in the past three seasons, has a salary cap charge of $23.6 million. That is thanks to some recent modifications to the extension he signed last year.
Fortunately, the Browns also have some of the most underpaid players in the league, thanks to a stellar rookie class from the 2025 NFL Draft. Most notable among them is linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who, while on a second-round rookie contract, won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. In addition, third-round pick Harold Fannin Jr. led the team in receptions and yards as a first-year tight end.
So, as with most NFL teams, the salary cap usually balances out in the end, even with some bloated contracts on the books.
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