Where Deshaun Watson's 5-Year, $230M Browns Contract Ranks Among NFL's Biggest

In a potentially landscape-changing move, the Houston Texans reportedly agreed to trade quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns on Friday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Watson will sign a five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns that is fully guaranteed. Rapoport noted that Watson's deal includes the most guaranteed money of any contract in NFL history, beating the previous record of $150 million by $80 million.

The record of $150 million had belonged to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who signed a six-year, $258 million extension with the Bills last year.

Watson's new contract will pay him an average annual salary of $46 million, which places him among the highest-paid players in the NFL currently as well.

Per Spotrac, Watson is second only to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who signed a three-year, $150.8 million extension earlier this week, giving him an average annual salary of over $50.3 million.

Here is a rundown of the NFL's top 10 earners in terms of average annual salary:

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB: $50.3 million

2. Deshaun Watson, QB, CLE: $46 million

3. Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC: $45 million

4. Josh Allen, QB, BUF: $43.0 million

5. Dak Prescott, QB, DAL: $40.0 million

T6. Russell Wilson, QB, DEN: $35.0 million

T6. Kirk Cousins, QB, MIN: $35.0 million

8. Jared Goff, QB, DET: $33.5 million

9. Carson Wentz, QB, WAS: $32.0 million

10. Matt Ryan, QB, ATL: $30.0 million

While there are risks involved with acquiring Watson, he has been one of the NFL's most productive quarterbacks since entering the league in 2017.

Watson led the NFL in passing yards (4,823) and threw for 33 touchdowns when he last played in 2020.

And one look across the NFL shows how difficult it can be to find a true franchise-altering talent at the position. Draft picks ultimately carry theoretical value because it's incumbent upon a front office to turn them into something tangible.

Many thought the St. Louis Rams fleeced the Washington Football Team in 2012 when Washington moved up to the No. 2 spot in the draft to take Robert Griffin III. With enough time to truly evaluate the trade, the Rams didn't get a massive bounty, and the whole thing was a bit of a wash.

The Browns are leveraging a lot of their future to make this happen, but Watson can single-handedly raise a team's ceiling when he plays.

Seventy-seven quarterbacks in NFL history have thrown at least 1,000 passes through their age-25 season, per Stathead. Among that group, Watson is seventh in yards (14,539) and touchdowns (104) and second behind Patrick Mahomes in QB rating (104.5). His yards and touchdowns would've been higher had he not played in only seven games as a rookie.

For a number of reasons, the this trade will be scrutinized for years to come.

The move comes as Watson faces 22 civil lawsuits centered around allegations of sexual assault or misconduct. A grand jury declined to indict him on criminal charges.

Watson issued a statement on Twitter last March saying he had "never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect."

Rusty Hardin, Watson's attorney, also said he believed "that any allegation that Deshaun forced a woman to commit a sexual act is completely false."

With the NFL refraining from issuing any suspension or placing Watson on the commissioner's exempt list, Sarah Barshop of ESPN said before the 2021 season the Texans might consider keeping him on ice all year:

Watson remained with the Texans through the NFL's trade deadline and didn't appear in a single game across the entire campaign.

The Browns had already picked up Baker Mayfield's $18.9 million option for 2022, but this trade is indicative as to the concerns they had about his long-term value. His development stagnated, and 2021 represented a step backward for the 2018 No. 1 overall pick.

Since reentering the NFL in 1999, Cleveland has tried and failed on numerous occasions to find a franchise quarterback through the draft. The team passed on Watson in 2017 (who was taken 12th overall), but taking Myles Garrett with the top pick that year wasn't exactly a regrettable decision.

The money is significant and the possibility of a suspension still exists, but Watson is the closest the Browns have had to a sure thing at QB in decades.