The Cleveland Browns have one of the more interesting quarterback rooms in the NFL. They have two 2025 NFL Draft picks on the roster in third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and fifth-round Shedeur Sanders.
Neither is guaranteed the starting job in 2026, and with Deshaun Watson and his $230 million, fully guaranteed contract, the quarterback and roster situation is not in a good spot. But the Browns have a plan.
NFL agent Joel Curry for CBS Sports revealed exactly what the Browns will do with Watson going forward. The plan is clear, but for Browns fans, they’ll have to wait one more year to see any changes come into effect.
Browns have clear plan for Deshaun Watson in 2027
“Cleveland’s plans with Watson have been etched in stone ever since a December 2024 contract maneuver,” Curry writes.
That contract maneuver was to add a few extra dummy years to Watson’s contract, which will help the Browns spread out the cap hits and also save a lot of money.
As Curry writes, “Watson will be released in March 2027 with a post-June 1 designation before the 2029 salary guarantee vests.”
That 2029 salary? A whopping $200 million. The Browns can very easily get out of it by cutting him in March of 2027, as Curry noted.
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Designating his release as a post-June 1 cut will spread the cap hit out over the 2027 and 2028 seasons, in turn, saving the Browns a lot of money over those years.
Instead of taking on all $86 million in 2027, the Browns will be on the hook for $34.6 million in 2027, and then $51.5 million in 2028.
It’s a much more feasible way to move on from Watson’s contract than trying to do anything this offseason.
So, for the next year, the Browns will be stuck with Watson on his current deal. While his time in Cleveland as a starter is up, after three forgettable seasons, the money won’t be going away anytime soon.
