No matter how successful Deshaun Watson is this season, it is almost impossible for him to ever live up to the record-breaking contract he received from the Cleveland Browns when he arrived in 2022. Even Cleveland’s first Super Bowl appearance in history might not be enough, as only the Vince Lombardi Trophy would be able to erase the bad memory of what the Browns have spent.
Cleveland gave up an astounding amount of draft capital, including three first-round picks, to acquire Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans. Then, even though he was facing sexual assault allegations, they handed him a five-year, $230 million contract, which to this day remains the record for a fully guaranteed NFL deal.
Watson has played in just 19 of a possible 68 games for the Browns, limited by an NFL suspension and a series of serious injuries. It is why owner Jimmy Haslam has called the trade a “big swing and miss.”
It is also why Bleacher Report analyst Brad Gagnon has named Watson’s contract the worst in the league heading into the 2026 season.
“Four years into that infamous deal, Watson has thrown a grand total of 19 touchdown passes in 19 starts. He hasn’t been an effective NFL player since 2020, and that’s extremely unlikely to suddenly change in his age-31 season,” Gagnon wrote.
Despite all of that, Watson looks to be the front-runner to be the Browns’ starting quarterback this season, carrying a $45 million salary cap charge that is the third-highest in the league. The organization is reportedly looking for any kind of paltry return on its investment before Watson becomes a free agent.
Interestingly, Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry has not ruled out the possibility of re-signing Watson to stay beyond this season. Some fans, in addition to some analysts, don’t believe the 30-year-old should play for the Browns ever again, so it would be very interesting to see the reaction if a new contract is offered.
The Browns have already moved on from Myles Garrett’s huge contract by trading the All-Pro pass rusher to the Los Angeles Rams. There will be several expensive contracts on the horizon for Cleveland’s talented group of young players, so it is best to get the salary cap under control as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, thanks to multiple restructures of Watson’s contract, he will remain on their books for a while after he’s gone.
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