Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson will have to wait a while before he takes the field for the Cleveland Browns.
During their preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he showed a glimpse but completed only one pass in five attempts for seven yards.
For now, he will have to serve his 11-game suspension due to violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
The sanction stemmed from his civil cases of sexual misconduct, as filed by 24 women.
Jacoby Brissett will take his place as starter, with Joshua Dobbs and Kellen Mond as backups.
The Browns faithful hope their squad will have a great record until Watson returns.
That way, they will have a chance to take one of the postseason spots in the highly-competitive AFC.
But while their playoff hopes are uncertain, Watson will get paid over the next five seasons.
Most Total Guarantees
1. Deshaun Watson, $230M
2. Kyler Murray, $189.5M
3. Russell Wilson, $165M
4. Aaron Rodgers, $150.7M
5. Josh Allen, $150M
6. Patrick Mahomes, $141M
7. Matthew Stafford, $130M
8. Dak Prescott, $126M
9. Jared Goff, $110M
10. Carson Wentz, $108M— Spotrac (@spotrac) September 1, 2022
Spotrac reveals that Watson will rake in the most guaranteed money at $230 million after signing a fully-guaranteed contract.
It’s no surprise that the list contains quarterbacks because of how their market has shaped up this offseason.
Aaron Rodgers is fourth on the list after signing a three-year, $150 million deal.
Meanwhile, Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson, and Matthew Stafford all received contract extensions this year.
Watson’s Contract Breakdown
His total guarantees include a $44.9 million signing bonus.
However, his base salary for 2022 will only be $402,500.
That will change from 2023 to 2026 when his base salary increases to $46 million.
His cap hit over those years will also be at $54.9 million annually.
While a fully-guaranteed deal is rare, it’s difficult to see it being the norm.
After all, Wilson signed a partially-guaranteed deal to stay with the Denver Broncos until 2028.
Watson could come back as early as Week 13 when the Browns face his former team, the Houston Texans.
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