The Cleveland Browns entered Thursday roughly $23 million over the cap and have until March 12 to be salary cap compliant. As previously discussed, Cleveland will restructure many contracts rather than a pre-June 1st cut because they would lose cap space, and can only use two post-June 1st designations a year. The Browns made their first significant move of the offseason a week-and-a-half ago, cutting Juan Thornhill as a post-June 1st cut, and today, they made their first restructure.
Also Read: Cleveland Browns: Cut Struggling Defensive Starter After 2 Seasons
The Cleveland Browns restructure quarterback’s contract, free $36 million
According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Browns have restructured Deshaun Watson’s contract.
The Browns have restructured the contract of QB Deshaun Watson, creating nearly $36M in 2025 cap space.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 6, 2025
The Browns converted $44.745 million of his salary into a signing bonus, adding a void year, freeing $35.796 million in cap space. As a result, his $46 million base salary drops to $1.255 million, and his $72.73 million cap hit drops to $36.936 million in 2025. Also, his $44.745 million signing bonus will be evenly spread for the next five years at a value of $8.949 million, as his cap hit will increase by that amount in 2026 to 2029. Finally, with $12.5 million in cap space, they are finally salary cap compliant.
The Pro Bowl quarterback is not expected to play in 2025
Watson suffered a non-contact Achilles tear in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Watson then tore his Achilles again in Miami in January after rolling his ankle and there was nothing nefarious about the injury. As a result, the former Pro Bowl quarterback underwent surgery again, and he will likely miss the entire 2025 season.
What will a post-June 1st cut look like in 2026?
Deshaun Watson is scheduled to earn a $46 million base salary along with an $81.68 million cap hit in 2026. Since the Browns would lose $53.71 million and incur a dead cap hit of $135.39 million with a pre-June 1st cut, the team will designate him as a post-June 1st cut, allowing the $135.39 dead cap to be spread into the 2027 offseason. As a result, they wouldn’t free up space and incur a dead cap hit of $81.68 million in 2026 and $53.71 million in 2027 per Over The Cap.
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