Out for the remainder of the 2024 campaign due to his Achilles tear, Deshaun Watson‘s attention will soon turn to rehab. The Browns’ starting quarterback is set to undergo surgery in the near future.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports Watson is currently giving thought to the ‘speed bridge’ procedure as an alternative to the traditional Achilles repair. In recent years, the new technique has allowed for players to return to practice along a shorter timeline, as evidenced last season by Aaron Rodgers. The procedure (whichever form it ultimately takes) will begin Watson’s process of returning to full health with an eye on the 2025 campaign.

The 29-year-old’s Cleveland tenure has included a number of sub-par performances, but it has also been defined by missed time. Watson was sidelined for the first 11 games of the 2022 season through suspension, and a shoulder injury limited him to only six contests last year. The surgery which shut him down last season was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who will likely handle Watson’s upcoming Achilles procedure. Either way, his campaign will be brought to an end after less than seven full games played.

When on the field, Watson has not managed to reclaim his previous form. The three-time Pro Bowler faced massive expectations given the package (including three first-round picks) Cleveland paid to acquire him from the Texans along with the fully-guaranteed contract which convinced him to join the Browns. Another two years remain on that $230MM pact, with $92MM still owed. The team’s consecutive offseason restructures has Watson on track for record-breaking cap hits ($72.94MM) in 2025 and ’26, and any kind of extension to flatten those figures would be difficult to justify given his growing list of injuries and subpar play. For that reason, a trade to get out of the contract would of course be unfeasible.

Cleveland is set to receive a small cap credit next year based on the $13.9MM portion of Watson’s 2024 compensation which is insured (h/t CBS Sports’ Joel Corry). Still, that will offer little reprieve in terms of the issue presented by the pact and Watson’s inability to meet expectations so far. While some of the contract is still insured for next year, Corry notes that is not the case for 2026. Team and player thus have plenty of incentive to avoid any further lengthy absences.

While Watson weighs his options, the Browns will move forward with Dorian Thompson-Robinson (provided he does not require a lengthy stint on the sidelines from the finger injury he suffered yesterday) and Jameis Winston under center. The pecking order between the two switched ahead of Week 7, and it will be interesting to see how it shakes out over the remainder of the season.

Deshaun Watson‘s performance on the field has not lived up to expectation, but his most recent legal situation has been resolved. The civil suit filed against the Browns quarterback last month has been settled, as first reported by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

“We have now resolved our client’s claim with Deshaun Watson,” a statement from Tony Buzbee (the attorney representing the alleged victim) reads. “The settlement is confidential.”

Watson is alleged to have committed sexual assault against the plaintiff in October 2020. The case is not connected to the other civil suits Watson faced in advance of his debut Browns campaign, but it was signficant since it raised questions about its potential to result in a new suspension. Such a move on the NFL’s part could have created an avenue for Cleveland to void the remaining guarantees owed to Watson, who denied the allegations.

As Florio notes, however, the fact the plaintiff has reached a settlement agreement all-but guarantees she will not speak with the league as part of any NFL investigation. The accuser was originally set to participate in a league probe into the matter, but doing so would have been voluntary. Given today’s news, building a case strong enough to issue a second suspension under the personal conduct policy will be challenging for the league, making further discipline unlikely.

Watson is under contract through 2026, and he is owed $92MM after the current season. The former Texans Pro Bowler was acquired via a blockbuster trade for a package involving three first-round picks, and his fully-guaranteed pact allowed Cleveland to win a bidding war which took place against the backdrop of a looming suspension. After returning from his 2022 ban (which lasted 11 games), Watson posted underwhelming numbers. That remained the case for much of last season, one which was cut short by a shoulder injury.

By nearly any statistical measure, the 29-year-old has been the league’s worst signal-caller so far in 2024. That will not lead to a benching, nor is head coach Kevin Stefanski considering a change in offensive play-calling. Attention will be aimed at the extent to which Watson can rebound on the field, but even if that does not take place a hypothetical pathway to moving on from the remainder of his contract no longer seems to be viable.

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.