AB GhaylaneAccording to sources, Deshaun Watson will not only be dealt to the Cleveland Browns, but his new contract with Cleveland will also be guaranteed, making NFL history.
Deshaun Watson was dealt to the Cleveland Browns for three first-round picks and additional compensation on Friday, and in exchange, Watson will receive a new five-year, $230 million contract from the Browns to be their new starting quarterback.
The contract is said to be “guarantee-free.”
This is a win for the Texans because the draft money they are expected to get will alter the franchise’s trajectory in the future.
The Browns are backing up the Brinks truck to Watson‘s house, handing him a new NFL record for the most guaranteed money for any player.
Since their return to the NFL in 1999, the Browns have been hunting for a franchise quarterback.
In his breaking news story on Watson’s new contract with the Browns on Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted:
Every dollar of Deshaun Watson’s new five-year, $230 million deal is guaranteed, per sources, setting a new record for the highest guarantee given to an NFL player. @Browns and Watson’s agent @DavidMulugheta combine to make history.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2022
According to reports, Watson‘s base salary in his first year with the Browns was:
Important contract note for Deshaun Watson, who got a 5-year, $230M contract. His base salary for 2022 is $1M, which means if he’s suspended, it’ll come out of that base.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2022
Watson’s contract with the Texans was for four years and $156 million, but with the Browns, it will be for five years and $230 million, and he’ll be 32 years old when it’s over.
Deshaun Watson was a first-round pick by the Texans in 2017.
Watson was expected to be dealt to either the Atlanta Falcons or the New Orleans Saints before the national media reported on his trade to the Browns.
That obviously did not happen for either of those teams, but the entire AFC North has transformed since Deshaun Watson joined the Browns.
The defending AFC Champions, the Cincinnati Bengals, who have Joe Burrow as their starting quarterback, are already in the North, while the Baltimore Ravens have Lamar Jackson at the helm.
Mitch Trubisky was recently signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as their next quarterback.
The Browns’ — and Watson‘s — surprising move is significant, and it alters the picture of the whole AFC.
The AFC will be challenging, and if there was ever a time for the Houston Texans to rebuild their roster, now isn’t it.
The best part is that it appears that both the Texans and Watson got what they wanted, since the Texans would not have paid Deshaun Watson the amount he is receiving. Now it’s just a matter of waiting and seeing what happens next, but Deshaun Watson has already created history with his new team before even taking the field.
