The Cleveland Browns have been cautioned about looking for a way out of Deshaun Watson’s contract after he suffered a second Achilles injury.
Watson ruptured his Achilles on Oct. 20 and had his first surgery less than a week later. He suffered a setback in his recovery, injuring his Achilles again and requiring additional surgery that put his entire 2025 season at risk.
The injury happened away from the Browns’ facility. It could potentially open the door for Cleveland to void his contract due to a non-football injury. However, former Green Bay Packers executive Andrew Brandt warned that doing so could have consequences.
“At issue to me is $92 million. Can they get out of that with some kind of NFI? And the bigger issue is, even if they can, will they?” Brandt said on “The Ross Tucker Podcast.” “Because you know reputation matters. Do they want to be that team? That team that will suck back money based on an injury?”
Deshaun Watson Has Likely Played Last Snap With Browns
There are a lot of questions remaining about how Watson’s second injury happened. He spent most of his time in Miami after the initial injury and the Browns seemingly didn’t know of the setback until right after the season ended.
If the Browns find an opportunity to recoup part of the fully guaranteed $230 million contract they gave Watson, they should seize it without hesitation. Watson is slated to account for nearly $73 million against the cap over the next two seasons, with additional void years tacked on to his deal. The massive cap hit severely limits the Browns’ ability to build a competitive roster, tying up a substantial portion of their resources in a quarterback who has likely taken his final snap for the team.
Watson has appeared in just 19 games for Cleveland due to injuries and a lengthy suspension stemming from off-field issues. Since Watson took over as the starter, the Browns have posted a 9-10 record, including a disappointing 1-6 this season.
During that stretch, Watson has thrown for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. His struggles were evident this year before a season-ending Achilles injury, as the offense failed to score more than 20 points in any game. Watson also failed to surpass 200 passing yards in any of his seven starts this season.
Deshaun Watson ‘Heaviness’ to Browns Locker Room
A recent article from Jason Lloyd of The Athletic went in-depth on Watson’s effect on the Browns. It cited frustration from players over the team catering to Watson, who was not producing on the field.
“Players told me there was a constant heaviness surrounding Watson in the locker room and that they felt a different energy in the building upon his departure after his Achilles injury in October,” Lloyd said. “A couple of veterans told me it felt like a cloud had been lifted.”
With Watson out for the foreseeable future, the Browns will be forced to go in a new direction next season. Cleveland holds the No. 2 pick in the draft and could select a top prospect like Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Cleveland could also turn to a veteran or pursue a trade.
