Deshaun Watson’s performance and health will shape plenty of storylines in Cleveland this season, but according to a new report, his roster spot itself is not actually in question no matter how those storylines play out. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero laid out Cleveland’s likely approach to Watson’s contract situation.
“No matter how Deshaun Watson’s latest shot to show he can play well and stay healthy goes, it’s a good bet Cleveland will keep him on the roster all season. The Browns believe Watson’s experience is valuable even if or when Shedeur Sanders replaces him as the starter, and Watson’s contract is structured to end in a post-June 1 designated cut for cap purposes, something that can happen only if he’s still on the roster in March,” Pelissero wrote.
Watson’s 5-year, 230 million dollar contract carries a dead cap charge of more than 126 million dollars for 2026, a figure so large that Cleveland has little practical incentive to release him mid-season regardless of how the season unfolds. Pelissero’s reporting suggests the front office intends to keep Watson on the roster through the 2027 league year, then designating any eventual release as a post-June 1 cut, a mechanism that spreads the remaining dead money across 2 separate salary cap years instead of absorbing it all at once.
Even if Sanders does eventually take over, Pelissero believes the organization still views Watson’s presence, both his experience and his value as insurance, as worth keeping around rather than moving on early. Releasing him before March would forfeit the cap flexibility the post-June 1 designation provides.
Sanders remains the backup for now, with Dillon Gabriel still working his way back from injured reserve and Taylen Green rounding out the room, but none of that competition appears likely to alter Watson’s roster status in the short term. Whatever happens under center in 2026, Cleveland’s cap strategy suggests Watson is going nowhere until the calendar, not the box score, makes the next move financially sensible.
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