New Deshaun Watson contract details reveal massive hint about his future with Browns

Going into this week, some of the bigger questions for the Cleveland Browns revolved around how they would trim down the team in effort to create their initial 53-man roster.

And, there were some questions in regards to the quarterback room. But, those questions were more along the lines of which backup(s) the team would end up keeping. With trade rumors floating around that Cleveland may be open to trading one of Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tyler Huntley or Jameis Winston, fans were waiting to hear potential news on that type of move.

But, what came next on Thursday morning was not something fans anticipated.

The Browns announced they had restructured the contract of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. By doing so, the team created an additional #35.8 million in cap space for 2024. In total, Cleveland now has $62 million in cap space at the moment.

That, of course, led many to wonder what exactly the Browns were doing. Could they be opening up some room for a massive trade before the season began? They'd already been interested in the likes of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, so a blockbuster deal isn't out of the question.

Another topic of conversation, though, remains what this means for Watson and his future with the Browns.

The details of his new cap hits and dead cap are live, via Spotrac, and fans won't like the nitty gritty details on this one.

The Browns are stuck with Deshaun Watson whether fans like it or not

If you thought the Denver Broncos had it rough after choosing to part with Russell Wilson, think again. The Broncos may as well be living a pipe dream by comparison, because the Browns would be in even worse shape if they opted to cut Watson anytime soon.

Just take a look at those dead cap hits. If the Browns cut Watson after the 2024 season, they'd take on an almost-unbelievable $172 million in dead cap. The next year? It still sits at $99 million.

There doesn't seem to be any way the Browns could move on from Watson in the near future, therefore this team and the fan base are stuck with him.

They are stuck with the constant, muddled practice and health updates that don't provide much clarity at all. They are stuck with what looks like a player who will never return to the elite form he once had. They are stuck with a player whose off-field questions are just as dicey as the questions about his performance on the field.

Either the Browns know something which nobody else does, about Watson's health and future level of play, or they just committed the organization to a few more years of constant quarterback controversy.

At this point, fans have to hope the organization cleared all of that cap room to make additional moves as a catalyst for a Super Bowl run this season. Otherwise, what's the point? Hopefully, the Dawg Pound gets the deserved clarity they'll be seeking from this moment forward --- and soon.