Browns Digest

Browns Made Curious Change To Deshaun Watson's Contract, Per Report

The Cleveland Browns quarterback quarterback had a new lawsuit filed against him ahead of Week 2

Spencer German

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson reacts after failing to convert on a first-half third down against the Cowboys, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cleveland.
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson reacts after failing to convert on a first-half third down against the Cowboys, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cleveland. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

The Deshaun Watson saga in Cleveland took a new turn when the 28-year-old had a new sexual assault lawsuit filed against him in Houston, Texas.

News of the lawsuit sparked plenty of conversations leading into Week 2 of the season about the Browns ability to get out of Watson's contract. Reports from people with pertinent knowledge of the QB's contract have revealed that the team could potentially do just that if he's suspended by the league this latest lawsuit wasn't shared with the team in writing prior to the signing the deal.

According to a report form NFL insider Jay Glazer, the Browns reportedly made some tweaks to Watson's deal when they restructured his deal a few weeks back. As Glazer explained on the FOX pre-game show, they nixed some language that could have protected Watson from further suspensions altogether.

"The original contract for Deshaun Watson actually had protections in there even if he got suspended in the 2023 or 2022 seasons, he wouldn't lose any guarantees," said Glazer. "Very quietly in August they restructured his deal. When they restructured it they did not put the same protections in for the next several years. So if he has a suspension moving forward there could be a chance they can go back and get some of those guarantees."

As things stand right now, the league has said it is investigating the new lawsuit brought against Watson under the personal conduct policy. The Browns have said they will wait for the legal process to play out.

No suspension is imminent for Cleveland's signal caller in the meantime, but the league is reportedly set to meet with the accuser in the case in a couple weeks.

Published
Spencer German

SPENCER GERMAN

Spencer German is a contributor to the Northeast Ohio cluster of sites, including Cavs Insider, Cleveland Baseball Insider and most notably Browns Digest. He also works as a fill-in host on Cleveland Sports Radio, 92.3 The Fan, one of the Browns radio affiliate stations in Cleveland. Despite being a Cleveland transplant, Spencer has enjoyed making Northeast Ohio home ever since he attended college locally at John Carroll University, where he graduated in 2013.

Home/News