For years, Deshaun Watson's mammoth contract has been a talking point for the Cleveland Browns, though not for the best reasons. His fully-guaranteed, $230 million pact was a major headache, but there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel.
The Browns are transitioning to a new era, and with a myriad of young talent, the books should be much healthier over the next couple of years. However, Watson isn't the only player earning well above his market value.
While the Browns' finances shouldn't be much of a concern after this season, some players on their 2026 roster could have a tough time living up to their contracts. Here, we'll dig into the Browns' roster and find out the three most overpaid players on the team.
Note, all contract information is via Spotrac, and position rankings are via OverTheCap.
Not every Cleveland Browns contract is aging well
Tyson Campbell: $14.1M (12th among cornerbacks)
Trading for Tyson Campbell was actually a good move. The Browns didn't seem to have a plan for Greg Newsome II, and they got a long-term replacement for less money than they would've had to pay their former draft pick.
That said, he's not an elite cornerback, yet he's still making top-15 money at one of the most valuable positions in the sport. Those are some big shoes to fill, and unlike last season, he won't get any slack in 2026 after spending an entire offseason with the team.
Campbell played well enough in his first season with the organization, though he did allow three touchdowns and 11.7 yards per completion in his 12 games in Cleveland. That's not that bad, but he's making big bucks.
Zion Johnson: $18.8 million (7th among left guards)
With Joel Bitonio most likely heading to retirement, the Browns jumped the gun to make Zion Johnson their left guard of the future. That made perfect sense talent-wise, but his production has left plenty to be desired thus far.
As such, committing nearly $19 million a year on a player that would've probably been available for much less may not have been the wisest move by general manager Andrew Berry. Of course, we can't judge Johnson until he actually takes the field, but at first glance, this looks like a massive overpay.
Johnson failed to fully establish himself at either guard spot with the Chargers, but perhaps he was a victim of the circumstances and will be better in Cleveland.
Deshaun Watson - $46M (13th among quarterbacks)
The only reason Deshaun Watson's contract isn't the worst in the league anymore is because of how much the quarterback market has exploded in recent years. Even so, this will probably go down as the single worst contract in the history of the NFL — and maybe even professional sports.
Watson is making more money than Daniel Jones, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud, Drake Maye, and Malik Willis, though one could argue the Browns' offense would be better off with any of them.
Fortunately, the Browns can finally get rid of his deal after this season. The Browns will still have to deal with some dead money over the next few years, but they will gladly take that over keeping Watson around past 2026.
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