Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

5 Cleveland Browns who are coming back no matter what

By Chad Porto

Dec 24, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. (33) warms up before the game between the Browns and the New Orleans Saints at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. (33) warms up before the game between the Browns and the New Orleans Saints at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Dec 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) takes the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) takes the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /

Deshaun Watson

If the Cleveland Browns cut Deshaun Watson, the team’s shiny new, disgraced quarterback, at some point in the next calendar year, they will have to pay (wait for…) between $192 to $219 million in 2023 alone. That’s more than the maximum salary cap allowed for an NFL team.

If you dislike Watson, and you’re not alone, he’s literally not going anywhere for a while. There is no date in his contract where the Browns can go “oooh finally” and jettison him into the either. Now, should things fall apart for whatever reason, a trade is possible, but keep in mind, we’re talking about compared to $219 million to about $35 million in cap hits.

So far more manageable, you’re still eating way too much money to justify moving on from him, but at least you can field a team still. And the only way he’s getting traded is if he wants out because let’s be honest, Jimmy Haslam has no qualms with the morally ill repute.

There are typical club protections in the contract, basically saying that if Watson (or anyone, they’re boil plate provisions in every player’s contract) gets in trouble, then he forfeits all money owed to him by the Browns.

So he has $229 million more reasons to be on his best behavior. So as long as he is, he isn’t going anywhere until his deal runs out, no matter how inconsistent he may play.

Home/Cleveland Browns