Latest Deshaun Watson lawsuit might allow the Browns to get rid of him

The Cleveland Browns made a huge mistake trading for Deshaun Watson. It was bad enough that the team brought him in given what was going on at the time of the trade, but then they gave him $230 million guaranteed and he's played horribly.

Since joining the Browns in 2022, Watson has started 13 games (another issue has been his lack of availability) and thrown 15 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. This past week against the Dallas Cowboys showed that he's not a good quarterback, as he threw for 169 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

It felt hopeless for the Browns, as Watson is set to carry a cap hit of $72 million in 2025 and 2026, making it next to near impossible for the team to part ways with him. Well, a new development has emerged regarding Watson's contract after a new lawsuit was filed against him on Monday.

Mike Florio obtained a copy of Watson's contract and noted that if Watson disclosed this claim to the Browns, his contract can't be voided.

Could the Browns have a way out of Deshaun Watson's contract?

Florio pointed out that if Watson mentioned this to the Browns, then this, from a football perspective, is a non-issue and he'll continue to be paid the salary he's owed. If he didn't, however, things will get interesting.

"To summarize, did Watson disclose this to the Browns? If yes, the issue is over. If he didn’t, and if the ends up being suspended for it, the Browns could indeed escape the final two years of the five-year deal."

Browns fans would love nothing more than for the Deshaun Watson experiment to come to an end. Not only is he a lousy quarterback, but he's also the subject of constant negative attention.

It's not entirely uncommon for teams to cut players with huge cap hits, and we saw it happen just this year when the Broncos kicked Russell Wilson to the curb despite his $53 million cap hit in 2024. The Broncos were simply ready to move on from his lackluster play.

Yes, the Browns will be majorly in the hole over the next two years when it comes to finances, but at this point, that feels like the right approach to take.