Recent comments made by Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam — the primary time anybody inside the group publicly admitted the historic and controversial Watson acquisition is a failure — additional reinforce that chance, as ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi writes. After all, due to Watson’s contract — which was recently restructured for instant wage cap reduction — even a 2026 launch with a post-June 1 designation would create a lifeless cash cost of almost $81M with none cap financial savings.
As such, Oyefusi says Watson might keep on the Browns’ roster for the rest of his thru-2026 deal, although any choices in that regard won’t be made for at the very least one other yr. Haslam mentioned the group wants to find out Watson’s well being standing earlier than making a name, and within the meantime, the 29-year-old passer is rehabbing his Achilles tear.
Whereas the present monetary image associated to Watson’s contract seems to be bleak, there’s a actual chance that the state of affairs will enhance. We had previously touched on the insurance coverage the membership had taken out on Watson’s contract, and as Oyefusi reiterates, the insurance coverage coverage allowed Cleveland to acquire cap reduction for 2024 after Watson missed 11 video games on account of harm in 2023. Likewise, the group has realized a small credit score for the time Watson missed in 2024.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provides additional context. In accordance with Florio, Watson’s deal comprises an addendum that enables the group to get better over $58M for an harm occurring between the beginning of the 2024 offseason program and the beginning of the 2025 offseason program (Watson sustained his season-ending Achilles tear in October 2024 and suffered a second tear in January 2025, and each occurrences fall inside the addendum’s timeline). Many of the potential restoration (over $44M) stems from Watson’s fully-guaranteed wage of $46M for 2025.
In different phrases, if Watson is unable to play in 2025, and if the Browns’ potential declare in opposition to the insurance coverage coverage is profitable, Cleveland might get again over $44M in money with a corresponding credit score to its cap sheet. Given the stakes concerned, although, the insurance coverage service could nicely try to search out an exclusion or exception that will justify denial of the declare.
Assuming Watson doesn’t engineer a dramatic turnaround to develop into a top quality beginning quarterback for the Browns, he’ll develop into a free agent in some unspecified time in the future within the comparatively close to future. When that occurs, he could not discover one other NFL alternative.
Per Oysefusi, executives and brokers from across the league have mentioned it’s doable that no group will carry Watson on board, even when he’s fully wholesome.
“If launched, I don’t see anybody choosing him up,” one NFC govt mentioned. “After which, down the street, the query might be, will he take low-QB cash? Would he even be motivated to play at that time?”
A distinguished agent supplied a distinct take, saying, “[t]he league is forgiving with quarterbacks which have exhibited high-level expertise. There’s a scarcity of excellent QB play. That’s why I believe a group might take an opportunity on him if he proves wholesome. Some homeowners might have an issue with that due to the previous, however not all.”
The agent makes a good level, but it surely has been just a few years since Watson has exhibited high-level expertise. So whereas the Browns’ seek for their subsequent long-term quarterback and a method out of their now-infamous contractual misstep are the extra urgent storylines, it’s honest to marvel if Watson has already taken his final snap.
