Bad quarterback investments have been frequent over the past few years. With due respect to the ill-fated moves outside Ohio, the Browns are on their own tier regarding a potential misstep due to the contract and trade compensation required to bring Deshaun Watson to town. Fifteen starts in across three seasons, this acquisition has not come close to producing what Cleveland sought.

The Browns have seen glimmers of hope from their high-priced passer, but he has wildly underperformed based on expectations. Watson, the NFL’s passing leader during his final active season in Houston and a three-time Pro Bowler who drew historic trade offers from at least three other teams in 2022, ranks ahead of only Bryce Young in QBR this season. At 29, the embattled quarterback has not responded well at a career crossroads.

It also may not exactly be accurate to label the former Pro Bowler as being at a crossroad point, as his 2025 and ’26 seasons — on a $230MM contract — are fully guaranteed. The Browns are dealing with the kind of trouble NBA and MLB teams run into upon authorizing a bad long-term contract, as the deals are almost always fully guaranteed in those leagues. Guardrails are in place in the NFL to protect teams against this type of situation unfolding. Owners already veered away from this contract structure — based on the QB deals finalized since Watson’s March 2022 windfall — and based on the Browns’ return on investment, another big-ticket fully guaranteed accord is highly unlikely to commence anytime soon.

A murky path to the Browns voiding Watson’s guarantees may exist if the QB is suspended in connection with the latest sexual assault allegation to emerge, but the team is still committed to making this fit work on the field. A quick hook involving the eighth-year passer is unlikely to commence due to the investment the Browns made, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Jameis Winston sits as the Browns’ backup, with the team having passed — to the surprise of some — on re-signing Joe Flacco, who is now the Colts’ backup.

Watson showed concerning form following his 2022 suspension, but that was effectively written off due to the lengthy midcareer layoff his off-field trouble and 2021 trade request brought. Last season featured the Browns go 5-1 in Watson’s starts, offering some hope the team could salvage this widely criticized acquisition. The team fired its OC and QBs coach (Alex Van Pelt, T.C. McCartney) despite Flacco’s shocking run to Comeback Player of the Year honors in Kevin Stefanski‘s system. Themed around wanting an offense more in line with Watson’s skillset, the Browns retooled under their newly extended HC.

Ken Dorsey‘s arrival has not brought improved play. And curiosity about how long the Browns want to keep going here has understandably become part of this equation. While Watson has not played with Nick Chubb since September 2023 and has not enjoyed a healthy O-line this season — as evidenced by the Giants’ eight-sack spree in Week 3 — his issues in Stefanski’s offense have existed since his 2022 debut.

Although a recent rumor pointed to the Browns bracing for another Watson ban, no present path to the team escaping the guarantees exists. The team, which also extended GM Andrew Berry this offseason despite the Watson contract occurring on his watch, is on the hook for $92MM in guaranteed salary from 2025-26.

The Browns have restructured Watson’s contract twice, inflating the dead money that would come in the event of a separation before 2027. It would cost them an astonishing $172MM in dead money to part ways with the struggling QB in 2025. That would introduce more new territory for dead money catastrophes. The Broncos’ $83MM-plus dead cap hit from Russell Wilson‘s contract already more than doubled the previous record.

We are not there yet, but barring a dramatic uptick from a quarterback who returned from a shoulder fracture, the Browns are stuck. Watson’s play could sink an otherwise well-built roster, one featuring players from two playoff teams since 2020.

Winston has 80 career starts on his resume, though he was erratic in Tampa and then benched in New Orleans for Andy Dalton early in the 2022 season. For now, the former No. 1 overall pick would only see time if another Watson injury occurs. Though, the on-field component of the Browns’ borderline disastrous QB situation — as more off-field drama plays out — certainly bears monitoring given the early-season results.

Deshaun Watson‘s on-field performance has not matched expectations in 2024, but the more pressing storyline surrounding the Browns passer is the latest lawsuit filed against him for sexual assault. Watson’s most recent accuser is set to speak with the NFL, and a league investigation into the matter could result in another suspension.

Attorney Tony Buzbee – who is representing the woman accusing Watson of sexual assault in October 2020 and was a key figure for the plaintiffs in Watson’s original batch of lawsuits – said in a recent statement his client will cooperate with the league’s investigation noting the presence of “pertinent” video evidence. Non-league employees cannot be compelled to do so, making that development a notable one as it pertains potential discipline. Watson has (through attorney Rusty Hardin) denied the allegations and he will not be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.

While the 29-year-old is therefore free to remain in place with the Browns for the time being, the potential of a second suspension has led to renewed questions about his contract. Cleveland guaranteed all of Watson’s five-year, $230MM deal in 2022 with the expectation he would face a ban at some point. Watson was indeed sidelined for the first 11 games of the season stemming from sexual assault lawsuits (all but one of which have since been settled).

Written correspondence between the former Texan Pro Bowler’s camp and the Browns referred to the possibility of a suspension and how it would not affect the guarantees in the deal. However, as ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes, protection against a suspension only covered the 2022 and ’23 seasons. This new allegation is separate from the ones which have already been dealt with, and as a result a new suspension could allow the team to void the remaining guaranteed money ($92MM between 2025 and ’26) contained in the pact.

The Browns have restructured Watson’s contract in each of the past two years in cap-related moves, converting base salaries into signing bonuses. The most recent of those moves may have removed suspension protection entirely, Graziano adds.

Players’ salaries are affected by suspensions, so a ban being handed down in 2024 would produce minimal consequences in that regard. Given Watson’s showings when healthy during his Browns tenure, though, the possibility of getting out of the remainder of his pact would likely be enticing. A decision on that front will not be possible unless and until any league suspension is handed down, the timeline of which remains uncertain. Cleveland could be preparing for a new ban, however.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the presence of “chatter in league circles” that a personal conduct suspension could be coming, although nothing firm is in place with respect to when it could happen. Florio adds that some around the league believe the Browns are evaluating outside quarterback options, something which would become necessary in the event Watson were to miss time this year. Cleveland allowed backup Joe Flacco – who stepped in as the team’s starter after Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury – to depart in free agency. At the moment, veteran pickup Jameis Winston and 2023 fifth-rounder Dorian Thompson-Robinson round out the QB depth chart.

Plenty is still to be determined in this situation, and more clarity will likely emerge once the anonymous accuser speaks with league officials. A suspension – either covering the end of the current season or a portion of future years – would be signficant for Watson and the Browns in its own respect, but if possible the team’s ability to void his remaining locked in money would of course create a major storyline.

For a second straight year, the Browns are restructuring the NFL’s most player-friendly deal. As a result, another quarterback will set the NFL record for single-player cap hit.

Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson restructure will create $35.83MM in cap space, ESPN.com’s Field Yates reports. The Browns moved $44.79MM of Watson’s base salary into a signing bonus. While more cap space will be available to the Browns this year, they will need much of it for carryover money because of the quarterback contract they authorized in 2022.

[RELATED: Browns Release QB Tyler Huntley]

Watson had been set to carry a record-obliterating $63.77MM cap number this season. The Browns have dropped it to $27.94MM. Of course, with restructures, future cap hits spike. This will be the case here, as Thursday’s reworking inflates Watson’s 2025 and ’26 cap numbers to an astonishing $72.94MM. More restructure work likely remains for a Browns team desperate to see its historically expensive trade piece take steps forward.

The Browns are now an NFL-most $51.6MM under the 2024 cap, but as The Athletic’s Zac Jackson notes, they will need much of this for rollover purposes. Entering today, the Browns resided ahead of only the perpetually cap-strapped Saints for projected 2025 cap space, sitting $66.9MM over. Rolling most of their 2024 total to 2025 would obviously create considerable relief, but the long-term Watson ramifications remain steep for a Cleveland franchise that has not seen anything remotely close from its QB to justify the 2022 trade and extension costs.

No one has followed the Browns’ lead for guarantees; the league has deemed this an outlier contract. The Browns gave Watson a five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed extension in March 2022. Nearly 2 1/2 years later, no other team has guaranteed a quarterback more than $146.5MM (Joe Burrow) at signing. The Browns had previously restructured the Watson contract in March 2023, beginning a process that has seen the eighth-year passer’s future cap hits balloon.

The team remains pot-committed with Watson through 2026. The restructures, which have two void years in place as the QB’s signing bonus is now spread through 2028, would lead to a $26.8MM dead money hit if Watson does not re-sign by the start of the 2027 league year. That seems manageable to a Browns team that has unimaginable — even in a world where the Broncos just took on $83MM-plus in dead cap by cutting Russell Wilson — dead money figures attached to its QB in 2025 or ’26.

Cleveland has seen its QB miss 11 games in each of his two seasons, with the former Houston Pro Bowler suspended upon arrival and then battling a shoulder injury that eventually shut him down in 2023. Watson, 29 in September, did not play any preseason games and was only cleared for full work August 11. The Browns shuffled their coaching staff, hiring Ken Dorsey, to better capitalize on their QB’s strengths. For the most part, those have yet to be on display post-Houston.

With this contract adjustment further tying the Browns to Watson, they will need to see notable improvement from him this season. Though, Watson’s guarantees do not exactly provide much incentive for an extreme turnaround. Dak Prescott‘s $55.13MM cap hit is now in place to set the NFL record, and the Cowboys appear prepared to carry that into the season.

AUGUST 12: While Watson will not take part in Cleveland’s second preseason contest, he will make his 2024 debut one week later. Stefanski said on Monday (via Cabot) the Browns plan to play Watson in their exhibition finale against the Seahawks. Making it through that contest healthy would set the stage for a critical regular season slate.

AUGUST 11: Deshaun Watson has hit another checkpoint in his recovery process. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Sunday the team’s franchise quarterback has been cleared for full contact.

Watson was limited to just six games last season due to a lingering shoulder injury. After being shut down for the campaign – the second of his fully guaranteed, $230MM contract – his attention turned to rehab. That process has gone well to date, with an update from June stating he was ahead of schedule.

Now, Watson will continue his preparation for the 2024 season during this week’s joint practices with the Vikings. Stefanski confirmed the three-time Pro Bowler will not play in Cleveland’s second preseason contest, as was the case this past weekend (by which time, as Stefanski clarified via Cleveland.com’s Mary KayCabot, Watson had received clearance). The 28-year-old will, however, receive the “vast majority” of first-team reps over the coming days.

The Browns dealt with a slew of injuries at several offensive positions last season, and the team relied on Joe Flacco at quarterback down the stretch and in the postseason. Flacco departed in free agency and Cleveland has brought in the likes of Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley in addition to returnee Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Regardless of how the rest of the depth chart shakes out, though, Watson will of course face high expectations as starter once the campaign begins.

After sitting out the first 11 weeks of the 2022 season through suspension for a personal conduct policy violation, the former Texan did not impress in his opening Cleveland starts. The Browns went 5-1 during his six appearances this past season, but his passer rating in that span (84.3) fell well short of his career average and his best Houston years. Returning to his previous form – and thus making the monster trade price the Browns paid to acquire him, in addition to the historic extension, easier to justify – would be critical for Cleveland’s chances of making a postseason run.

Unlike last offseason, the team did not adjust Watson’s contract. As a result, he is set to carry a record-breaking cap charge of $63.77MM in 2024. The pact also calls for cap hits of just under $64MM in 2025 and ’26, so remaining healthy and delivering a strong outing on Watson’s part will be critical for the team’s finances now and in the future. This latest update is another sign he is back at 100% well before Week 1.

As the Browns aim to have a healthy Deshaun Watson available for the entire 2024 campaign, a key aspect of the team’s offseason will be his rehab from a fractured shoulder socket. Developments on that front have been encouraging so far.

Watson threw every other day during OTAs, with the Browns understandably taking a cautious approach early in the spring. His workload increased over time, though, and he impressed during minicamp. As a result, the 28-year-old is on track to practice without restrictions in training camp.

“First and foremost, Deshaun has really worked his tail off during the rehabilitation process over the last several months,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said during an appearance on NFL Network’s The Insiders. “He’s really actually ahead of schedule… He’s thrown the ball well. Did a really nice job during our 7-on-7 and team periods during this veteran minicamp.

“He’s making excellent progress. Honestly if you didn’t know he got hurt last year, you really wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. We’re very excited once camp starts.”

The lingering shoulder issue affected Watson’s second Cleveland campaign, one in which he was slated to take part in the full season after the suspension which sidelined him for 11 contests in 2022. The Browns ultimately won 11 games while using five different starting quarterbacks last year, but having the former Texan in place for a full slate would be critical for team and player. Watson is entering the third year of his $230MM fully guaranteed pact signed upon arrival in Cleveland.

To date, the team has not received the expected results from the decision to trade for and sign Watson. The three-time Pro Bowler is set to carry cap hits above $63MM in each of the next three seasons (unless another restructure is worked out in the coming weeks), which will add to his importance on offense moving forward. Especially with running back Nick Chubb likely to miss time at the start of the season, increased emphasis will be placed on Cleveland’s passing game. If Watson is back to 100% by the fall, he will be positioned to make another run at a healthy season and serve as the focal point of the team’s attack.

Starting just six games for the second straight season, Deshaun Watson played only 383 snaps — four fewer than his suspension-shortened 2022. The Browns have received an alarmingly low return on the historically expensive trade with the Texans, but the contract they were required to authorize in order to win the 2022 sweepstakes continues to tie the team to the former Pro Bowler.

Going into season three of that five-year, $230MM guaranteed deal, the Browns are bringing their quarterback along slowly. Watson suffered a fractured shoulder socket and a partially torn labrum last season. He is not yet a full participant in the team’s offseason program, but the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot notes the eighth-year QB threw in front of the media for the first time this week.

Watson, 28, participated in individual drills and threw to receivers during the practice portions not involving a defense. Jameis Winston took the reps in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 periods, Cabot adds. The team is gradually bringing its high-priced passer along, with Kevin Stefanski indicating (via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling) Watson is not throwing at every OTA session. Stefanski said Watson is throwing every other day during OTAs, though the fifth-year Cleveland HC noted that is expected to change at next month’s minicamp.

“He threw the ball down the sideline, a vertical throw today, and that’s one I hadn’t seen from him a lot,” new Browns OC Ken Dorsey said, via Cabot. “We haven’t pushed him to do it, so that was good to see. The more he grows and feels comfortable with it, the more you’ll start seeing those things get ramped up more and more.”

The Browns had played games without Watson prior to his season-ending shoulder injury last year, with the likes of P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson making starts. Watson’s shoulder trouble, a micro tear of his rotator cuff, ultimately leading to a Nov. 21 surgery, preceded Joe Flacco‘s stunning resurgence. Watson also suffered a high ankle sprain last season. The team booked a playoff berth despite missing its starting QB, its top three tackles and Nick Chubb. Flacco is now in Indianapolis, indicating he was surprised Cleveland did not re-sign him, and Winston is the Browns’ Watson insurance policy.

While this certainly represents a pivotal year for the Browns and Watson, the team is still tied to the former Texans standout through 2026. Unlike last year, the Browns have not restructured Watson’s contract. That places what would be a record-smashing $63.77MM cap number on Cleveland’s cap sheet. No player has ever brought a $45MM cap charge in a season. Three-plus months away from Week 1, the Browns, Cowboys (Dak Prescott) and Broncos (part one of Russell Wilson‘s dead money) are in line to move past that benchmark. Barring a restructure, Watson’s cap number would top both players this season.

Watson’s surgery was to require a six-month recovery timetable. Shortly beyond that point, this process will be one to monitor as the Browns attempt to finally enjoy an extended run of quality QB play with their hired gun.