The Cleveland Browns are approaching the end of Deshaun Watson’s record-setting contract, but the final bill remains substantial.
Watson is scheduled to receive $46 million in guaranteed compensation this season — the final year of the five-year, $230 million deal he signed after Cleveland acquired him from the Houston Texans in 2022.
The Browns restructured the contract again in March, converting nearly all of Watson’s $46 million salary into bonus money. The move created close to $36 million in immediate cap space without reducing what Watson will collect.
According to Over the Cap, Watson carries a $40.96 million cap charge and a $46 million cash payout for 2026. His remaining base salary is $1.3 million after the conversion.
The Browns changed when the money counts against their salary cap. They did not change how much Watson is owed.
Deshaun Watson’s Contract Ends After 2026 Season
Watson is under contract through the end of the 2026 season. He is scheduled to become a free agent in 2027.
The additional years listed on contract breakdowns are void years used for salary-cap accounting. They do not keep Watson under Cleveland’s control beyond this season or require the Browns to pay him another salary in those years.
That makes the current season a contract year for Watson, who is attempting to reclaim the starting job after missing all of last season while recovering from two surgeries on a ruptured Achilles tendon.
The Browns are weighing Watson against Shedeur Sanders and the rest of their quarterback room. However, Watson’s compensation is guaranteed regardless of whether he starts, serves as the backup, or is eventually removed from the roster.
That removes finances from the quarterback decision. Cleveland can make the call based on performance because benching Watson would not reduce his payout. Still, the Browns have an obvious incentive to salvage some production from their historic investment.
Browns Will Keep Paying for Watson Deal
While Watson may be off the roster after this season, the cap consequences will remain. Cleveland’s multiple restructurings allowed the franchise to create spending room in previous offseasons, but those moves pushed portions of Watson’s cap charges into future years.
The Browns are expected to separate from Watson with a post-June 1 designation in 2027, spreading the remaining dead money across future seasons’ salary caps.
Watson has made 19 regular-season starts for the Browns, posting a 9-10 record while completing 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Despite entering the final season of his contract, Watson has not ruled out remaining in Cleveland beyond 2026.
“When I first got here, there was a lot of stuff going on, as the world knows,” Watson told reporters during training camp. “But I don’t have any bad feelings toward Cleveland. I love Cleveland. Me and my wife have our house on the east side, so we’re here all the time. We were here this summer. If you ask around, I’m at pretty much all the restaurants, hanging out, so I haven’t had a bad experience outside of different times in the stadium.
“I don’t know why that narrative is out there that people think that I don’t like Cleveland. My family and I have been enjoying our time here. If the opportunity shows up, we’ll see where it goes.”
Watson would likely need a historic resurgence to convince Cleveland to make another financial commitment.
When Deshaun Watson’s Browns Contract Ends and What He Is Owed