John Johnson Browns Contract Breakdown

The details for John Johnson's contract with the Cleveland Browns are available per Spotrac and they are remarkably beneficial for what team is trying to accomplish while making sure Johnson gets paid handsomely as the salary cap increases.

Pete Smith | Mar 17, 2021

The Cleveland Browns were able to get a huge prize in free agency, agreeing to a three-year deal with safety John Johnson. Incredibly, the contract set up is really good for the Browns as well as laid out by Spotrac.

Johnson is set to earn just $5.25 million in 2020, which is ideal considering the salary cap situation impacting the NFL this year. $1.25 million is his salary and he has a $12 million prorated bonus over three years. That continues to allow the Browns a substantial amount of breathing room to add talent as well as simply maintain the rollover bubble they want to keep being able to spend as much as they are on the roster.

Year two the money escalates as one would expect. He has a $4 million salary in addition to the $4 million from his signing bonus. There's another $3.75 million he is scheduled to get that season, bringing the total to a still reasonable $10.75 million figure.

The Browns theoretically have the ability to opt out of the contract after the second year, only having to eat $4 million, the remaining signing bonus. It's incredibly difficult to see that happening unless Johnson gets hit by a bus.

His salary for that season is $8.75 million, there's a roster bonus for $1 million as well as another $3.375 million. In all, Johnson will get $17.125 million in 2023.

So long as the NFL is able to have normal attendance this year, the salary cap will start increasing again. The question is only about the rate. The NFL took a bath in terms of revenue from the 2020 season, so it's not going to sky rocket based entirely on revenue. Whether the rate is pretty standard or accelerated is not known at this point.

Regardless, every year of Johnson's salary will look extremely reasonable for the amount of talent he has.

Andrew Berry and the Browns front office has been nothing short of incredible when it comes to structuring contracts and this is a prime example. Johnson will almost certainly get all of the $33.75 million in the contract as well as potentially signing an extension to keep him with the team afterward, which is ideal.

2021 - $1.25 million salary, $4 million signing bonus - $5.25 million total

2022 - $4 million salary, $4 million signing bonus, $3.375 million option bonus - $11.375 million total

2023 - $8.75 million salary, $4 million signing bonus, $3.375 million option bonus - $17.125 million total

Published Mar 17, 2021

PETE SMITH