Tag: Deshaun Watson

Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson watches on the sidelines against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Reports: Browns restructure Deshaun Watson contract

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Cleveland Browns are restructuring the contract of quarterback Deshaun Watson to open up cap space, according to multiple reports Friday.

This marks the fourth straight offseason the Browns have restructured Watson’s contract, which drops his cap hit for the 2026 season from $80.7 million to about $45 million and frees up nearly $36 million in cap space.

Watson’s original deal with the Browns, signed after being traded from the Houston Texans ahead of the 2022 season, was a five-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $230 million. He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Watson has played in just 19 games and thrown 19 TD passes for the Browns due to suspensions and injuries. His record is 9-10.

He was suspended 11 games in 2022 for off-field conduct related to sexual misconduct allegations involving more than 20 massage therapists. His 2023 season was cut short by left shoulder surgery and the 2024 season ended abruptly for Watson in Week 7 because of a ruptured Achilles, missing the final 10 games.

The 30-year-old missed all of last season recovering from two Achilles surgeries but is expected to compete with Shedeur Sanders for the starting QB position. The Browns also have Dillon Gabriel on the roster at the position.

–Field Level Media

Browns won’t activate QB Deshaun Watson from PUP list this season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson will not be activated from the physically unable to perform list, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Tuesday, marking an end to Watson’s 2025 season.

Cleveland’s highest-paid offensive player had returned to the practice field for the first time this season on Dec. 3, opening a 21-day window for the franchise to either activate him to the 53-man roster or shut him down for the remainder of the 2025 season by Tuesday.

Watson is recovering from multiple Achilles surgeries since January and had been thought to be out for the season while healing from the procedures.

“He’s done a great job with everything that’s been asked of him,” Stefanski said. “I’ve gotten to see him work so hard, whether it’s in the training room, by himself in the indoor with the trainers, on the practice field now for the last bit. Just felt like this was the right decision for him and for us. His focus will continue to be to help this football team and continue to get healthy and get stronger and all those types of things.”

Cleveland remains on the hook for one more year of Watson’s five-year contract.

He counts more than $80.7 million against the salary cap in 2026 with a base salary of $46 million. Team owner Jimmy Haslam called the Watson acquisition a “big swing and miss” in March.

Watson, 30, has played 19 games with the Browns and thrown 19 TD passes since he was acquired from the Houston Texans in 2022 and signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in Cleveland.

Haslam will have paid Watson $184 million when the 2025 season ends. Watson will have earned $9.68 million per game played with the Browns despite not playing this season.

He was suspended 11 games in 2022 for off-field conduct related to sexual misconduct allegations involving more than 20 massage therapists. His 2023 season was cut short by left shoulder surgery and the 2024 season ended abruptly for Watson in Week 7 because of a ruptured Achilles, missing the final 10 games.

He had a second Achilles surgery in January to repair a new tear in the same tendon.

The Browns restructured Watson’s contract in the offseason — he received a $44 million restructure bonus — to free up salary-cap space and sign defensive end Myles Garrett to a four-year, $160 million contract and curb his trade demand.

–Field Level Media

Browns open 21-day return window for QB Deshaun Watson

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cleveland’s highest-paid offensive player is back on the practice field for the first time this season.

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was designated to return to practice, opening a 21-day window for the franchise to either activate him to the 53-man roster or shut him down for the remainder of the 2025 season.

Watson is recovering from multiple Achilles surgeries since January and was thought to be out for the season while healing from the procedures.

The Browns have started three different quarterbacks this season: Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals in October. Gabriel started four games before dealing with a concussion, which opened the door for Sanders — a rookie drafted 50 spots behind Gabriel in April — to take over as QB1.

“His focus, my focus, is obviously getting him back to playing football, practicing football, which he hasn’t done in over a year,” Stefanski said. “So, it’s a good next step for him.”

Stefanski did not commit to getting Watson on the field for a game before the end of this season. Cleveland remains on the hook for one more year of his five-year contract.

He counts more than $80.7 million against the salary cap in 2026 with a base salary of $46 million. Owner Jimmy Haslam called the Watson acquisition a “big swing and miss” in March.

Watson, 30, has played 19 games with the Browns and thrown 19 TD passes since he was acquired from the Houston Texans in 2022 and signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in Cleveland.

Haslam will have paid Watson $184 million when the 2025 season ends. If Watson does not take the field for a game, he will have earned $9.68 million per game played with the Browns.

He was suspended 11 games in 2022 for off-field conduct related to sexual misconduct allegations with more than 20 massage therapists. His 2023 season was cut short by left shoulder surgery and the 2024 season ended abruptly for Watson in Week 7 because of a ruptured Achilles.

He missed the final 10 games and is nearly 14 months removed from his most recent game action. He had a second Achilles surgery in January to repair a new tear in the same tendon.

The Browns restructured Watson’s contract in the offseason — he received a $44 million restructure bonus — to free up salary-cap space and sign defensive end Myles Garrett to a four-year, $160 million contract and curb his trade demand.

–Field Level Media

Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) works out during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns place Deshaun Watson on PUP list

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Competition for the starting quarterback job in Cleveland will not include the Browns’ highest-paid QB, Deshaun Watson.

Watson was officially placed on the physically unable to perform list as training camp gets underway in Berea, Ohio, with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel vying to be the QB1 when the regular season begins Sept. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Watson was rehabbing a torn Achilles when he suffered the same injury in January. Two seasons in a row ended with injuries for Watson, who is 9-10 as a starter since being acquired from the Houston Texans for six draft picks and signing a guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. Half of those draft picks were first-round selections.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry had been staunch defenders of Watson’s ability and status as the team’s starter until the offseason, when cracks in the commitment level to Watson being a centerpiece of the franchise began to appear. When principal owner Jimmy Haslam said in March that the Browns were recovering from the mistake of “thinking we had a quarterback and didn’t have one,” the door opened even more for Cleveland to move in a new direction.

Watson, who turns 30 in September, denies he’ll miss the regular season, but all signs point to Watson being unavailable deep into the 2025 schedule.

He counts nearly $36 million against the 2025 salary cap and following a number of restructures, his cap hit is $80.7 million in 2026.

Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. also was placed on the PUP list. Hall is recovering from a knee injury he sustained in the final game of the 2024 season against the Baltimore Ravens.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) goes down with a non-contact injury to his lower leg in the second quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in downtown Cleveland on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson out of boot, throwing at facility

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, recovering from a twice-ruptured Achilles tendon, has been out of his walking boot for weeks and throwing to receivers at the team’s practice facility, Cleveland.com reported.

The rehab process for Watson, who is all but written off for the 2025 NFL season, has been “excellent,” according to the report.

Watson on Monday posted a photo of himself throwing at the Browns’ facility; Cleveland.com reported wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and David Bell, the latter rehabbing from surgery to repair a dislocated hip, have been working out with Watson.

The team, however, selected two quarterbacks in April’s draft and signed two others in anticipation of not having Watson until 2026.

Watson, 29, is recovering from a pair of Achilles tendon surgeries in a span of less than four months. He played in 19 of a possible 51 games with the Browns since being acquired from the Texans in March 2022, a deal Cleveland made despite the quarterback being accused of committing sexual improprieties by more than two dozen massage therapists in the Houston area.

Even Browns owner Jimmy Haslam went on the record in March to label the trade a “swing and miss,” a major revelation considering it came from the individual approving Watson’s checks.

Watson posted a brief video addressing the doubters last month.

“Everyone is doubting me. Everyone don’t believe in me,” Watson said in a video posted to Instagram. “Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself. … I know, I’m gonna be way better than before.”

When the calendar turned to April, Kenny Pickett was the only healthy quarterback on the Browns’ roster. They quickly changed that, signing Joe Flacco to a one-year deal and then selecting Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the draft.

While the training camp battle that’s to come will bring some clarity to the QB room, a potential Watson return midseason would further complicate the team’s roster decisions.

The Browns reworked Watson’s contract in March, clearing $36 million in cap space, leaving Watson with a base salary of $1.255 million for the 2025 season.

With the Browns, Watson has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, center, poses for a portrait with general manager Andrew Berry, left, and coach Kevin Stefanski during Watson's introductory news conference on March 26, 2022, at the Browns training facility in Berea.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson on mission to prove doubters wrong

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Deshaun Watson might miss part or all of the 2025 season and hears the whispers of his demise as doubts multiply about his ability to rediscover the form that tempted the Cleveland Browns into acquiring him from the Houston Texans three years ago.

Watson is recovering from a pair of Achilles tendon surgeries in a span of less than four months. He played in 19 of a possible 51 games with the Browns since being acquired from the Texans in March 2022, a deal Cleveland made despite the quarterback being accused of committing sexual improprieties by more than two dozen massage therapists in the Houston area.

Even Browns owner Jimmy Haslam went on the record last month to label the trade a “swing and miss,” a major revelation considering it came from the individual approving Watson’s checks.

Watson posted a brief video addressing the doubters on Thursday.

“Everyone is doubting me. Everyone don’t believe in me,” Watson said in a video posted to Instagram. “Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself. … I know, I’m gonna be way better than before.”

The Browns acquired Watson in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024, along with a 2023 third-round pick, and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024. In return, they received Watson — 9-10 as a starter with the Browns — and a 2024 sixth-round pick.

The Browns finally are back in the first round of the draft and hold the No. 2 overall pick in the April 24 draft. With only Watson and recently acquired Kenny Pickett on the roster, Cleveland has a hole to dig out of, according to Haslam.

Before he played a game for the Browns, the franchise signed Watson, who then had three Pro Bowl selections to his credit, to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He is still owed $92 million.

“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Haslam said last month. “We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t, and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole. (It) was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee (Haslam, Jimmy’s wife and franchise co-owner) and I, so hold us accountable.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns managing and principal partner Jimmy Haslam before the game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns co-owner: Deshaun Watson trade a ‘swing and miss’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Three years after giving up a king’s ransom to bring quarterback Deshaun Watson to Cleveland, Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted Monday that it was a mistake.

“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” he said at the league meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. “We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t, and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole. (It) was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee (Haslam, Jimmy’s wife and franchise co-owner) and I, so hold us accountable.”

The Browns acquired Watson from the Texans in March 2022, despite the quarterback being accused of committing sexual improprieties with multiple massage therapists in the Houston area. Cleveland sent Houston first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024, along with a 2023 third-round pick, and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024 in exchange for Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick.

After the trade, the Browns signed Watson, who then had three Pro Bowl selections to his credit, to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He is still owed $92 million.

In return, Watson has compiled a 9-10 record while starting only 19 of 51 possible regular-season games due to injuries and an 11-game suspension related to the sexual assault allegations. In those games, he has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

After tearing an Achilles in January for the second time in less than a year, the 29-year-old is expected to miss most or all of the 2025 season.

The Browns finally have a first-round draft pick and own the No. 2 overall selection in the draft, to be held April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

With only Watson and Kenny Pickett on the roster, the Browns need a long-term solution at quarterback. But Haslam said the Browns won’t draft a quarterback if there isn’t one available whom they believe is the QB1 of the future.

“It would be great if we could get ‘the quarterback,’ but we’re not going to force it,” Haslam said. “We’re going to be patient and we’re going to try to accumulate as many really good football players as we can.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) runs from Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Reports: Browns restructure Deshaun Watson’s contract, clear cap space

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Amid a salary cap crunch, the Cleveland Browns have renegotiated quarterback Deshaun Watson’s salary, clearing nearly $36 million of cap space, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

With free agency opening next week, the Browns needed to clear $23 million in cap space to become cap compliant. And that made Watson’s $72.7 million cap hit in 2025 a target.

Spotrac reported the Browns converted $44.745 million of his salary into a restructure bonus, leaving Watson with a base salary of $1.255 million. The 2027 season also was voided.

The Browns acquired Watson and a sixth-round draft pick on March 18, 2022, in a trade with the Texans, sending three first-round draft picks, a third-round pick and two four-round picks to Houston.

The team completed the trade despite Watson being investigated in Houston after about two dozen massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct. He signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Browns.

Watson, 29, was a three-time Pro Bowl selection with Houston, but a bust in Cleveland.

Because of an NFL suspension following the investigation and assorted injuries, Watson has played in just 19 games (of 51 possible) in three seasons in Cleveland and is 9-10 as a starter. He is expected to miss the 2025 season as he recovers from a second surgery for a torn Achilles.

With the Browns, Watson has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson heads to the sideline during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Browns GM: Deshaun Watson experienced ‘setback’ with Achilles

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson experienced a post-surgery setback in his recovery from a ruptured Achilles, general manager Andrew Berry said Monday.

Berry was informed Sunday that Watson’s recovery went off track but he’s unclear whether the timeline for Watson’s return to the field has changed.

“Yesterday as we went through our normal player medical process, we did learn he did have a setback in his Achilles recovery. We don’t have all the details and everything yet, but it will obviously extend the recovery process for him,” Berry said.

Asked whether Watson could require another Achilles operation, Berry wasn’t definitive about the next steps.

“I don’t have all of those details,” Berry said Monday. “He did raise it to the doctors. I’m not trying to be evasive here. It’s all really new.”

The Browns reworked Watson’s contract last month to soften the salary cap hit for 2025 and have said they plan to address their QB position. Injuries have been a constant of Watson’s tenure in Cleveland since he signed a $230 million fully guaranteed contract.

Watson, 29, played seven games in 2024 and ended the season on injured reserve because of surgery for the second consecutive season. Watson played 12 total games in his first two seasons with the Browns (2022-23).

Cleveland started Bailey Zappe in Saturday’s loss at Baltimore and fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey after one season. Head coach Kevin Stefanski was noncommittal about his QB plans for 2024 and Berry again on Monday said the Browns were planning to pursue other quarterbacks before they learned of the latest Watson news.

“I wouldn’t say it has a significant impact,” Berry said.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) goes down with a non-contact injury to his lower leg in the second quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in downtown Cleveland on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.

Report: Deshaun Watson, Browns agree to restructure contract

Posted on | by Field Level Media

In a move that hints at quarterback Deshaun Watson remaining with the Cleveland Browns next season, he and the club reportedly have agreed to restructure his contract.

Watson, who signed a fully guaranteed five-year deal worth $230 million when the Browns traded three first-round draft picks for him before the 2022 season, is still owed $46 million per season through 2026.

The restructure aids the team by adding two more void years to the contract, on top of two void years that were included initially. That lets the Browns extend his dead salary cap through the 2030 season, ESPN reported Friday.

Despite those void years, Watson would still be a free agent before the 2027 season.

After injuries and legal issues — which led to an 11-game suspension — sidelined Watson for the 2021 season and most of 2022, the three-time Pro Bowl selection has struggled mightily in Cleveland.

In 19 games, all as the starter, Watson has completed 61.2 percent of his passes, well below his average of 67.8 percent with Houston. He has thrown 19 touchdown passes but also 12 interceptions, also well below his Houston ratio of 104 scores to 36 picks.

Watson was lost for the season on Oct. 20 with a torn right Achilles tendon, the second straight year that an injury cut his season short. He missed the final eight games of 2023 due to shoulder surgery.

The Browns finished second in the AFC North and made the playoffs last season, ending a run of 15 straight seasons either third or fourth in the division. They are 3-12 this season and again in last place in the division.

–Field Level Media