Deshaun Watson joined the Cleveland Browns in 2022 after a five-year stint with the Houston Texans. Watson was a first-round, 12th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Texans, and he was their starting quarterback in the last three seasons.
In 2022, the quarterback signed a massive five-year, $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. It was the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history at the time of the signing.
While Watson made a lot of money from the contract, his career didn’t pan out in the following years the way he would’ve expected. His career has been plagued by injuries and off-field troubles in the last few years.
Still, Watson is one of the highest-paid players in the league. His career earnings stand at a staggering $234 million. For the last four years, when he has been injured most of the time, Watson has been making over $45 million annually.
There’s a stark difference in his earnings from 2018, when he made just over a million dollars per year, to 2025, when he made over $46 million, despite being on the injury reserve. His estimated payout for the year 2026 is expected to be around $46 million.
Many believe that Watson’s potential as a quarterback has been wasted over the years due to injuries. 2020 was his best individual season, where he recorded 4823 yards with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
Since then, his career has taken a nosedive. He sat out the 2023 season after Week 11 due to a shoulder injury. In 2024, he suffered an Achilles injury and missed the season after Week 8, and Watson sat out the entire 2025 season due to the Achilles injury.
The Cleveland Browns are Restructuring Deshaun Watson’s Contract
As per a recent ESPN report, the Cleveland Browns are once again restructuring Watson’s contract to free up some cap space. They will free nearly $36 million in cap space, which will allow them to sign more players in free agency.
Since his arrival in Cleveland, he has only played 19 games. After missing a major chunk of his Browns stint due to injuries and suspension, Watson is slated to come back next season.
This will add more drama to the Browns quarterback situation. Watson will compete against Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel for the QB position. If the Browns sign another quarterback before the next season, then the competition within the camp will increase.
That will only make matters worse for Watson as he’s the only one who has been out of action for a very long time.
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