Details reveal massive future cap hit with Deshaun Watson contract

After the Browns completed their acquisition of former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, additional details on the contract specifics have been revealed. Watson’s full contract will be for five years, with a massive $230 million guaranteed — with a cap hit of $54.9 million for the 2023-26 seasons. The former Clemson star has been the subject of trade discussions since the beginning of the 2021 NFL season, finally finding the offer made by Cleveland to be a reason to accept their trade.

Deshaun Watson's #Browns Contract
(h/t @ProFootballTalk)
– 5 years, $230M
– $230M fully guaranteed
– $46M cash each year
– Minimum $1.035M '22 salary

Cap Hits
2022: $10M
2023: $54.9M
2024: $54.9M
2025: $54.9M
2026: $54.9M

Full Breakdown: https://t.co/k4h1b8P11c

— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 20, 2022

Deshaun Watson’s massive contract

Prior to accepting a trade to Cleveland, one of the major desires Watson had for a new contract stemmed from him asking for more money guaranteed in his contract. According to the contract information made available, Watson’s contract will be a massive chunk of the Browns’ overall cap space, accounting for over 25 percent of the current salary cap starting in 2023.

Watson’s contract is loaded with a total signing bonus of $44,965,000, which Watson will receive this season along with the minimum salary of $1,035,000. This allows the Browns additional room to maneuver this season by only suffering a total cap hit of $10 million — although it pushes the bulk of Watson’s cap hit to the following seasons.

Watson’s salary per season increases to $46 million beginning in 2023, and will be paired with his signing bonus spread over the five-year deal for a total cap hit of $54,993,000 each year. The NFL’s salary cap per team for the 2022 season is 208.2 million. While the current trend for NFL salary caps has been a positive one — with the cap reaching over $200 million for the first time ever this year — Watson’s contract is eye-catching at a minimum.

Details on the contract revealed indicate that the entirety of his $230 million deal is guaranteed, a major point of contention for any contract that Watson was interested in signing. Additionally, Watson’s contract reportedly has language in it that protects his guaranteed money — stating that he would not forfeit his signing bonus or void future guarantees upon suspension.

Watson recently appeared before a grand jury for nine, varied sexual assault allegations, a factor in all trade talks and the reason his time in Houston ended prior to the 2021 season. The grand jury did not find sufficient evidence to criminally charge Watson, opening the door for teams to make their best offers for the quarterback. The language in Watson’s new contract protects his money if the NFL decides to make any independent suspension decisions against Watson.