Browns finally make move with Deshaun Watson that everyone saw coming

The Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson are tied at the hip thanks to the historic, fully-guaranteed contract he signed back in 2022. And, as expected, the team recently made a big adjustment when it comes to how he'll get paid in 2024.

Per ESPN's Field Yates, the Browns have restructured Watson's deal by turning $44.79 million of his initial $46 million base salary into a signing bonus, creating $35.82 million in cap room. The remaining $1.121 million is Watson's new base salary, which will be paid out over the course of 18 game checks, or $67,222 per week.

The NFL is required to pay players base salaries, and the $1.21 million is the veteran minimum for players that have been in the league for seven-plus years. The Browns now have the most cap space in the NFL at more than $62 million and the move also gets them under the cap for 2025, so it's good for both the short- and long-term.

It's a move that everyone knew was coming for some time, now. It was even going to happen when Watson first signed the deal. Teams hardly ever pay out that much in base salary in a single year simply because it takes up way too much cap space.

Watson has base salaries numbering $46 million in both 2025 and 2026, with all of it being fully guaranteed, so, expect more moves like this to come, down the road.

Now, it's about living up to the contract. On top of being injured, Watson has underperformed during his time in Cleveland. He's played in just 12 of 34 possible games and has thrown 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions while amassing an 8-4 record as a starter. But, this isn't the 1980s, anymore. QB records aren't what they used to be because everyone knows a QB's win-loss record doesn't tell the whole story when it comes to their individual performance(s).

All of this is expected to change in 2024, but as with all things NFL, only time will tell.