The Cleveland Browns' acquisition of quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2022, coupled with his then-record $230 million fully guaranteed contract, continues to significantly impact the franchise's financial flexibility, according to veteran sports agent Leigh Steinberg.
Steinberg told OutKick that the structure of Watson's five-year deal, which was the largest fully guaranteed contract in NFL history at the time, prevents the team from employing advanced cap management techniques. "The fact that they've got that contract on Cleveland's roster, which is all guaranteed, makes it very difficult to do what is advanced caponomics, which is to take a high salary, all of which counts against the cap, and supplement it with a new signing bonus and extend the contract out over a series of years," Steinberg explained. "That's the modus operandi to fit talented players into a cap. But when all the money is guaranteed, there's no way to escape the cap hit."
To manage Watson's cap figure in the early years of his tenure, the Browns utilized void years, pushing a substantial portion of his salary cap hit into future seasons. This strategy has led to escalating cap penalties. Watson's cap hits were $9.4 million in 2022, $19 million in 2023, nearly $28 million in 2024, and nearly $36 million in 2025. The current season's cap hit is $40.2 million.
The financial strain is projected to intensify significantly. For the 2027 season, even though Watson's contract is set to expire, he is expected to carry an $86.2 million cap hit. Additional hits of $25.7 million in 2028, nearly $17 million in 2029, and $8.9 million in 2030 are also on the books. This future financial burden could force the Browns to further manipulate their cap space to absorb the charges for a player potentially no longer on the roster.
Should the Browns carry the full $86.2 million cap charge for 2027, it would represent more than a quarter of the projected salary cap, presenting a significant obstacle for a team aiming to build a competitive roster and pursue free agents.
Watson, who was suspended for 11 games in 2022 following sexual assault allegations, has played in only 19 games over four seasons with the Browns. He has completed 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Watson has not played since tearing his right Achilles tendon in October 2024, and re-tore it during rehabilitation in January 2025.
Despite these challenges, Watson has been named the Week 1 starting quarterback for the upcoming season. The team hopes he can regain his previous form, as seen during his time with the Houston Texans, under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Steinberg expressed uncertainty about Watson's ability to perform at a high level consistently, citing his past career trajectory with the Texans and issues stemming from injuries.
"He's not too old. As we've seen with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, players can play deep into their 40s and still be effective at that position, but he's got to be a little rusty," Steinberg commented on Watson's age and potential for recovery.
