Browns Receive $60M Relief in Deshaun Watson’s Contract With Joe Flacco Given Brutal Reality Check on Cleveland Role

Deshaun Watson hasn’t played for the Cleveland Browns for an entire season, still he managed to make millions of dollars vanish. Not from his bank account, of course — no, that’s still safe, warm, and cosy. We are discussing the salary cap in Cleveland. Yes, Jimmy Haslam and the Browns’ front staff have pulled off a financial trick that would make Houdini envious. And this is after three years of squandering cash into a bottomless quarterback pit. And the best part? It didn’t even require Watson to throw another incomplete pass.

According to The Dawgs Podcast, citing Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Browns are about to get a fat wad of cap space back — courtesy of injury insurance on Deshaun Watson’s mega-deal. That’s right. The contract that’s been haunting the Browns like a horror movie just tossed them a peace offering: $60 million in potential relief. Here’s the magic math: if Watson misses all of 2025, Cleveland gets a juicy $12.7 million in cap space. If he also misses 2026, boom — they get a whopping $44.3 million in additional relief. To put that in perspective: that’s enough to pay for a whole new offensive line, a shiny rookie QB, and maybe even therapy for Browns fans still recovering from the Baker Mayfield era.

So, this thing about Deshaun Watson? Officially, it has been classified as the burning, oil-soaked, draft-pick-devouring dumpster fire that we all knew it was. During the league’s annual meeting, Jimmy Haslam, a co-owner of the Browns, did not mince words. His exact words? “We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun… We thought we had the quarterback; we didn’t.” Translation: Oops. Our bad.

However, we shouldn’t pretend that Cleveland is about to enter a financial paradise just yet. According to Over The Cap, Deshaun Watson continues to cost the Browns more than $35 million this year, more than $80 million the following year, and over $50 million in void years after that. Yes, it is what you read. Let that sink in. Fifty. Million. Dollars. The Browns can’t escape it. They can only hope to contain it… with insurance.

However, the Browns still need to file the necessary paperwork to profit from Watson’s absence. Just as your car insurance doesn’t pay you until you fill out that irksome form after your bumper gets hit at Walmart. But if all goes according to plan, the organization should begin receiving the $12.691 million in signing bonus relief and roughly half of Watson’s 2024 base salary of $1.21 million. That cash is expected to land this year, freeing up critical space for roster-building. So while Watson might be MIA on the field, his injury could be the Browns’ biggest assist of the season.

But just as Cleveland thought they might be out of the Watson mess, here comes Joe Flacco again, reminding everyone that the QB carousel in Cleveland never really stops spinning.

Joe Flacco signs, but Deshaun Watson’s $230M gamble is still haunting Cleveland

Joe Flacco has returned to Cleveland. A favourite among fans. A folk hero. Using a cannon arm and some classic dad-bod swagger, the 40-year-old quarterback once swept the cobwebs off the couch and sailed the Browns into the playoffs. For a hot minute, Flacco-mania was genuine. He was balling, not just playing. After six weeks with 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns, and an atmosphere so positive that Browns’ fans nearly forgot they were in the Watson Wasteland.

But this time around? The comeback king got hit with a harsh dose of NFL reality: nostalgia doesn’t earn you job security. Flacco re-signed on a one-year deal worth up to $13 million — but only $3 million of it is guaranteed. Translation? This isn’t a love letter from Cleveland. It’s a: thanks for last year, now go sit in the QB room and wait your turn.

Despite Joe Flacco’s return, the Browns front office is still playing the “we might still draft a quarterback” game. Ian Rapoport was blunt when he stated that Flacco’s agreement does not eliminate Cleveland’s pursuit of a quarterback. Indeed, draft prospects Tyler Shough, Jaxson Dart, and Jalen Milroe are already being speed-dated by the Browns. And even though they have the No. 2 overall pick and might not use it on a quarterback? The smoke is very real.

Flacco’s incentive-laden deal tells the whole story. Sure, it could reach $13 million, but only if he somehow morphs into an All-Pro. That’s not confidence — that’s contract language for ‘we like you, but don’t get comfortable.’ And with Jameis Winston now gone, and the QB room looking like a glorified quarterback carousel, Cleveland is clearly keeping their options open like someone swiping through Tinder after a breakup.

And let’s not ignore the elephant in the huddle — Deshaun Watson’s shadow still looms. Whether it’s Flacco or some fresh-faced rookie, everyone in that locker room knows who’s supposed to be the guy. Watson is still under contract through 2026. Still costing the team tens of millions. Still, the ‘swing and miss’ Haslam admitted to. And that creates a weird energy — a sort of QB purgatory where nobody’s really the guy, but everyone has to pretend someone is.

Bottom line? Joe Flacco is back. So welcome back, Joe. Just don’t unpack too fast.