The Cleveland Browns made the expected move on Friday to restructure quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract, reduce his massive $80.7 million salary cap hit and clear around $36 million in much-needed cap space with the start of 2026 free agency looming next week.
This was all part of GM Andrew Berry’s offseason plan, as the team was never going to carry the NFL’s largest singular-player cap charge into the new league year. And while this one move makes the Browns cap compliant, they’re far from finished.
Cleveland has another obvious contract restructure to consider with Denzel Ward, who's set to carry the team’s second-highest 2026 cap charge at $32.