How Deshaun Watson’s contract hamstrings the Browns in wake of his latest injury | Inside Coverage
Mia Phillips
Updated on April 03, 2026
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz and Jori Epstein discuss the status of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson who suffered multiple injuries in Cleveland’s win over the Ravens in week 10. Hear the full conversation on Inside Coverage. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
JASON FITZ: The breaking news in the NFL today-- Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will undergo surgery for a fracture to his throwing shoulder, and as a result, is out for the rest of the year. Jori, you look at this from the Browns standpoint, and this is worst case scenario for somebody that they, as we all know, have paid a ton of money and they have high expectations for that now, again, won't be available on the football field.
JORI EPSTEIN: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you just have shoulder injury, ankle injury, suspension time missed-- there's just one thing after the next with Deshaun Watson. And it was questionable to justify a $230 million fully guaranteed contract when the Browns gave it to him, not to mention the boatload of draft picks that they gave up. But now, as he continues to not be able to play, you really have to question what was going on.
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry addressed the media on Wednesday and was asked, like, is there any way they could get out of that contract if he doesn't recover from this shoulder fracture that he needs surgery for? And Berry confirmed that this contract is guaranteed for injury, skill, and cap, which is quite the pill for Browns fans to swallow.
JASON FITZ: If they were to even cut him post-June 1, which is an easier designation financially, in 2024, it would still cost them roughly $156 million in cap space. And I say that, Jori, to say, like, very plainly, Deshaun Watson cannot go-- he can't retire, he can't be cut, he can't be traded. There is nothing Cleveland can do, because anything they do would absolutely not just destroy a portion of, it would destroy the entirety of their salary cap.
JORI EPSTEIN: At some point, the longer you spend away from football, do you become more injury prone because your body is just not used to it? This is a guy who sat out for a while in Houston. This is a guy who made it back to Cleveland and then had to miss several games. So you have to wonder if, beyond any, like, genetic general disposition to injuries that Deshaun Watson has, if the circumstances of this element are making him more and more injury prone.
JASON FITZ: I don't think the season is lost for Cleveland. I think, actually, the future is far worse than this season is for the Browns.
