Deshaun Watson's Contract Reportedly Restructured, Browns' Updated Salary Cap for NFL Free Agency

As one of six teams projected to be over the cap heading into free agency, the Cleveland Browns will restructure Deshaun Watson's contract to give them financial flexibility.

Per Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns are making the move with Watson's deal to become cap compliant as they look ahead to the start of the new league year next week.

Watson was initially set to have a cap charge of $80.7 million for the 2026 season. According to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, the move will clear about $36 million in cap space.

Per Spotrac, the Browns were $25.5 million over the cap entering the offseason.

Oyefusi added that Cleveland is also expected to restructure Denzel Ward's contract, with the front office likely to target multiple offensive players in free agency.

The club can free up $13.6 million in cap space by restructuring Ward's deal, which would give them around $25 million in room to make moves.

Cleveland's primary area of need in free agency and the draft will likely be along the offensive line. The Browns have six pending offensive line free agents, including starters Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic and Wyatt Teller.

Teller has already confirmed that he won't be returning to the Browns. Bitonio is weighing his playing future, with The Athletic's Jason Lloyd noting the void date in his contract was pushed back until the end of the current league year on March 11.

In addition to giving Bitonio more time to decide if he wants to retire or not, pushing the void date back allows the Browns to potentially figure out an extension or wait to process his retirement until after June 1 when it would be less prohibitive to their 2026 cap.

Meanwhile, Watson is entering the final year of his contract with the Browns and could be in the mix to start games in 2026. He has been out of action since Week 7 of the 2024 season due to a torn Achilles that he reinjured in January 2025.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at the NFL scouting combine that there will be a competition for the starting quarterback job throughout the offseason, with Watson in the mix with Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and anyone else they might bring in.

Watson has started 19 games in four seasons with the Browns since being acquired in a March 2022 trade with the Houston Texans. He has thrown for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his Cleveland tenure.