Before the Cleveland Browns took the field against the Buffalo Bills, most believed that Deshaun Watson was going to be named the starter for the 2026 NFL season, as soon as after the game. Shedeur Sanders was given the start in the second preseason game, but HC Todd Monken’s process seemed to be leaning pretty strongly toward the veteran.
Then Cleveland looked like they no longer “belonged” playing with Buffalo; Sanders looked okay, Watson looked terrible, the veteran then had a horrible press conference, and many are wondering if his statements will impact the starting quarterback competition.
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Going beyond that, the conversation has turned to Watson’s infamous contract and whether the Browns can cut him. The simple answer: Yes, they can. The more complicated answer: No impact this year, but wow the devastation in 2027.
Quite simply, Cleveland owes $127 million (give or take a few dollars) on the salary cap for Watson. Nothing they do will change that. What does change things is when Watson departs the team. If the Browns cut him today, or anytime during the season, they would then have the following salary cap hits:
2026
$40.9 million
2027
$86.2 million
If Watson remains on the team throughout the 2026 season, Cleveland can give him a post-June 1st release on the void years of his contract (there are four of them), which would lead to the following cap charges (which still would add up to the same amount as above, just more spread out:
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2026
$40.9 million
2027
$36 million
2028
$51.5 million
As always, Jack Duffin at The OBR does a great job of breaking down all things salary cap. As Duffin has explained before, due to salary cap increases, pushing cap hits out decreases the percentage of the cap that it costs a team, even if the actual number stays the same.
The two most expensive releases in NFL history both include quarterbacks and still would pale in comparison to the potential $86.2 million dead cap in 2027. Russell Wilson‘s dead cap of $53 million when the Denver Broncos released him was eclipsed by the Miami Dolphins‘ release of Tua Tagovailoa, which cost the Fins $55.4 million this year.
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Miami also has $43.8 million in dead cap for Tagovailoa in 2027.
Can the Browns release Watson? Yes. Will they? It seems unlikely given how much it would hamstring the team’s decisions in 2027. While the roster is young and cheap at its foundation, GM Andrew Berry (assuming he survives) will still be looking to add talented players in free agency next year. Right now, assuming the post-June 1st release of Watson in 2027, Cleveland will have around $50 million in salary cap space. If they release the veteran quarterback prior to that, all of that cap space goes away.
Currently, with Watson’s departure all but certain next year, the Browns will have over $50 million to spend in 2028 as well.
Given the hamstringing of the salary cap in 2027, do you still want the Browns to release Watson as soon as possible?
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