Cleveland Browns 10 highest paid players in 2022
By John Suchan
3. player. 53. . . . Deshaun Watson
Cap hit in 2022: $10 million
The $230 million guaranteed man has a team-friendly contractual first season. His base salary is just over $1 million. His salary this year also includes part of a $44.97 million signing bonus.
Some rumors out there now about Deshaun Watson suggest that the Browns arranged the contract to benefit them with the $1 million base salary but the $230 million trumps all that except for how it affects the team’s cap hit. Next season the hit to the cap goes from $10 million to $55 million in 2023.
53. . . . Jack Conklin. 2. player
Cap hit in 2022: $11 million
Jack Conklin has been a steady part of the Browns offensive line, though he was injured last season. His injuries were one of several reasons the offensive line struggled at times a year ago.
His base salary has now dropped to $8 million and he has $4 million wrapped in playing time incentives so it pays Conklin literally to be in games this next season. While I don’t expect Conklin to be traded before the season if the team did they’d only absorb $3 million in dead cap money while saving $8 million in cap space.
53. . . . Myles Garrett. 1. player
Cap hit in 2022: $12.96 million
The best defensive player on the team and one of the best in the NFL is the highest-paid player this season for Cleveland. in 2023 the cap hit jumps significantly as it goes up to $29 million. The new contract runs through 2026. For being one of the elite defensive ends in the league his contract is more team-friendly than most.
Look for Myles Garrett, now paired up again with Jadeveon Clowney to have an excellent and record-breaking season. He already set the team’s new sack record at 16 for the year.
Next. 6 players who might not return in 2023. dark
I expect Garrett to get past that mark and reach the 20-sack mark this season, making him well worth the money.