Deshaun Watson’s controversial contract doesn't look as bad as it once did, as Cleveland Browns are set to receive more than 10 cap-credit insurance refunds, stemming from time missed due to injury.
There's been plenty of controversy around the Cleveland Browns handing out a first-of-its-kind five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract to Deshaun Watson after trading for him in 2022.
The good news is the franchise added in some key insurance protections that will now see them get back over $88 million in cap credit through 2030.
As Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio outlined via official NFL records, Cleveland has already started to receive a series of more than 10 cap credits for time missed due to injury from Watson over the last few seasons.
These payments are noted as “return of [signing bonus] from insurance policy," reimbursements, and were built into Watson's contract through the various restructures executed to the 30-year-old's contract in recent years.
Watson missed 11 games in 2023 due to a shoulder injury, then another 10 in 2024 after rupturing his Achilles, which forced him to miss the entire 2025 campaign, as well. He's only played in 19 games during his four years in Cleveland.
Florio outlined the full list of cap credits coming back to the Browns. They started in 2024 and extend all the way through 2029.
Florio writes:
As best we can tell, it appears that the Browns will have received, from 2024 through 2029, the following cap credits: $8.79 million (for 2024), $8.79 million (for 2025), $7.983 million (for 2025), $8.781 million (for 2026), $7.992 million (for 2026), $4.951 million (for 2026) $8.755 million (for 2027), $8.018 million (for 2027), $8.755 million (for 2028), $7.983 million (for 2028), and $7.983 million (for 2029).
It's all a bit confusing to keep up with, but essentially, those payments give Cleveland some added cap relief in the corresponding years Florio outlined. In total, the Browns will receive $88.781 million in refunds during that span, providing one saving grace of what many consider the worst trade in NFL history. Granted, it won't provide much solace for fans who have had to bear witness to the Watson debacle.
The end is very likely near, though, with the embattled QB entering the final year of that initial five-year contract he signed with the franchise.
With training camp set to kick off later this month, Watson finds himself in the heat of an open competition for the Browns starting QB job with second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders. The duo will continue that battle in the lead-up to the regular season.
It's a pivotal one for Watson, who is looking to prove he still has a place in the NFL after four forgettable, injury-riddled years with Cleveland.
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