Watson is under contract for the next two years at $46 million annually. However, he will count $73 million against the cap each year, significantly hampering the Browns’ roster-building efforts. Cutting Watson — who is on a fully guaranteed contract — would lead to a historic amount of dead cap.

With the Browns in a historically unique spot regarding Deshaun Watson, they are not in a good position to release

The Cleveland Browns were always likely to keep Deshaun Watson in the fold for 2025 solely because of the amount of money he is owed. However, they are determined to give him the chance to win back his starting quarterback job as well.