In the coming weeks, the Cleveland Browns will settle on the 23rd head coach in their franchise’s history.
Then, once all the introductions and staff changes are over with, general manager Andrew Berry will turn his sights on addressing the team’s complicated salary cap situation.
As it stands, the Browns are projected to be $2 million over the projected 2026 salary cap, according to Spotrac, but as fans know well by now — the cap is mostly whack.
Berry can create ample cap space by pulling a couple simple levers. The most obvious contract to address is that of Deshaun Watson, whose scheduled $80.7 million cap hit would be an NFL record. There’s really only one way that number sticks — if the new regime decides to rip the Band-Aid off early, designate Watson a post-June 1 release, and be done with the fiasco once and for all starting in 2027, when the worst of his dead-cap penalties will be behind them.
The most likely outcome, however, is one Browns fans won’t like at all. Cleveland can simply restructure Watson’s contract for a third straight year, create $35.76 million in much-needed cap space, and plan for the future cap penalties in 2027 and 2028 accordingly.
According to Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti, the Browns also have a big decision to make on No. 1 cornerback Denzel Ward, whose cap hit of $32.9 is actually higher than that of Myles Garrett in 2026, and currently accounts for over 10 percent of their projected cap dollars overall.
A restructure is definitely on the table for Ward’s deal, which would create an additional $15 million in cap space. But the Browns can only kick the can down the road for so long, and a recent report from Over the Cap listed Cleveland Pro Bowlers Ward and safety Grant Delpit among the NFL’s top potential salary cap casualties this offseason.
Browns’ cap drama may force painful moves on two fan favorites
Ward is currently under contract through 2027 after signing his five-year, $100.5 million extension in the spring of 2022. The team has since added a pair of void years to his deal in the form of salary conversions for cap purposes.
It’s definitely worth noting that the 2025 season was always a natural pivot point for Ward and the Browns. They can get out of the deal entirely for $29.6 million in dead cap charges in 2026. The team could also look to trade him in 2026 for some minimal cap savings, or extend him again to lower his cap number and reset the table.
It’s hard to see the Browns moving on from one of the best cornerbacks in football, but the team did just sign Garrett to, at the time, the richest non-QB contract extension in NFL history, and they’ll be paying for Watson no matter what they decide to do this offseason.
The other Browns player who landed on OTC’s potential cut list was Delpit, who made the Pro Bowl this year as a special teamer. His contract is a bit more complicated, as it’s currently maxed out with four void years. He’s due $12 million in cash for 2026, which will be a contract year for him. The team could look to cut bait early, eat some cash now, and clear cap room in future seasons.
Berry can definitely take his team from $2 million over the cap, to around $65 million with a few procedural moves. We’ll just have to wait to see whether a Browns fan favorite ends up being a casualty of those decisions.
