Contract Details for Deshaun Watson's Extension with Browns

A look at Deshaun Watson’s contract with the Cleveland Browns, which is fully guaranteed.

A huge factor in the decision by quarterback Deshaun Watson to waive his no-trade clause and be traded to the Cleveland Browns was the lucrative contract he signed. The deal is worth $230 million dollars in all over five seasons and is fully guaranteed.

Watson’s contract comes with a pretty straight forward deal.

Signing bonus: $44.965 million, spread out over the length of the five year deal, averaging $8.993 million each season.

2022 base salary: $1.035 million, fully guaranteed.

2023 base salary: $46 million, fully guaranteed.

2024 base salary: $46 million, fully guaranteed.

2025 base salary: $46 million, fully guaranteed.

2026 base salary: $46 million, fully guaranteed.

Full contract can be seen here  

Watson will become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. By that point the Browns and Watson will have an idea if a further extension is on the table. With the amount of draft capital the Browns gave up, that would be the hope.

The way the contract is set up, it allows the two sides to amend the contract as needed, which could into play as quickly as 2023. If the Browns were to trade Watson at some point, they would owe any bonus money, but the guaranteed salary would go to the team that is acquiring him.

Brandon Little is a writer for Sports Illustrated’s Browns Digest website and you can follow him on Twitter here. You can follow Browns Digest on Twitter as well here.

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