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Can Deshaun Watson contract be voided?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 23, 2026

In effect, he could face a limited financial penalty for missed games in 2022. His remaining guaranteed money also won't be voided for suspension, per terms of the contract. That's a striking level of protection for Watson against NFL penalties.

Is Deshaun Watson contract fully guaranteed?

Upon being traded from Houston to Cleveland last month, quarterback Deshaun Watson signed a five-year, $230 million contract — fully guaranteed at signing.

How many years are left on Deshaun Watson's contract?

Watson has five years remaining on his contract

That will place him under contract through 2026. If Watson does not agree to a new contract with the Browns, he would be a free agent in the 2027 offseason.

Will Deshaun Watson be put on the exempt list?

Deshaun Watson will not be put on the NFL's Commissioner Exempt List amid accusations of sexual misconduct, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday.

What happens if Watson gets suspended?

If he is suspended in 2023, the NFL can take away a significant portion of his $46 million base salary. That is unless the Browns restructure his contract a year from now.

29 related questions found

Does Deshaun Watson still get paid if suspended?

The player does not get paid, so the salary cap does not get charged.

How much does Deshaun Watson make per game?

Deshaun Watson's $1.035 million base salary in 2022 with the Browns means he'll pay only about $57,500 for each game of his possible NFL suspension. Updated: Mar.

Why isn t Deshaun Watson on commissioners list?

The NFL will not use the Commissioner Exempt List for Deshaun Watson. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday that because two grand juries chose not to criminally charge Watson that the Browns quarterback is subject only to a suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy.

Where did Deshaun Watson go?

Deshaun Watson traded to Browns: Cleveland says it did 'extensive' work examining QB's off-field issues. Deshaun Watson is now officially a member of the Cleveland Browns.

How much will Deshaun Watson make 2022?

But for 2022, it's quite affordable. While Watson will count $10 million toward this year's salary cap, that's mostly due to an $8.9 million signing bonus. His base salary is only $1,035,000. That base salary ranks 22nd among Browns currently under contract for 2022.

Is Deshaun Watson the highest-paid QB?

Deshaun Watson is now the highest-paid NFL quarterback in terms of guaranteed money. Watson's new deal with Cleveland will amount to $230 million guaranteed.

What is Lamar Jackson's contract?

All in all, we'd expect Jackson to presently command something like $46.5 million per year on a new deal. Call it a four-year, $186 million contract that makes him the NFL's second-highest-paid QB behind Aaron Rodgers ($50.2M) and allows him to revisit the market between ages 29-30.

Who has a fully guaranteed contract in NFL?

The history of NFL game-changers

History can't repeat itself in order for Watson's contract to forever change the NFL's economic landscape. The three-year, $84 million deal quarterback Kirk Cousins received from the Vikings in 2018 free agency was the NFL's first lucrative fully guaranteed veteran contract.

Who is the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history?

Aaron Rodgers, Packers agree to four-year deal as QB becomes highest-paid player in NFL history.

Who is highest-paid QB in NFL?

The Top 10 Highest-Paid NFL QBs for the 2022 Season After Derek Carr's Deal

  • Aaron Rodgers, $50,271,667.
  • Deshaun Watson, $46,000,000.
  • Patrick Mahomes, $45,000,000.

Did the Browns trade for Deshaun Watson?

The Texans and Browns pulled off one of the biggest trades in NFL history on Friday with Houston sending Deshaun Watson to Cleveland in exchange for a hoard of draft picks.

Did the Cleveland Browns get Deshaun Watson?

The Cleveland Browns acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson over the weekend. The two sides agreed to a re-worked extension, a five-year fully-guaranteed deal worth $230 million. The extension was necessary to bring Watson to Cleveland.

Did deshaun get traded?

The Cleveland Browns announced Sunday that they traded for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Cleveland's announcement came two days after the deal was initially reported and confirmed by Houston and one day after Texans general manager Nick Caserio explained the move to reporters.

What is the NFL commissioner exempt list?

The NFL's personal conduct policy gives league commissioner Roger Goodell the ability to place a player on an “exempt list” that essentially puts him on paid administrative leave. Such players don't count toward a team's active roster.

What is Baker Mayfield salary?

Current Contract

Baker Mayfield signed a 4 year, $32,682,980 contract with the Cleveland Browns, including a $21,849,440 signing bonus, $32,682,980 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $8,170,745.

What was Deshaun Watson's new contract?

The new Deshaun Watson contract is a major break from NFL contract norms. Yet, the Cleveland Browns bypassed the league norms of guarantees with Watson. For the new five-year, $230 million deal they gave him, all of it is guaranteed.

Do NFL players get guaranteed money?

Most NFL player contracts are fully guaranteed, but if not fully guaranteed, then guaranteed for injury only, meaning if a player is cut for skill or cap reasons they will not receive this money; they would only receive the money if they suffered a football related injury and could not play and/or were cut.

Does guaranteed money count against the cap?

In order to persuade players to sign back-heavy contracts, teams can offer signing bonuses. This is guaranteed money that is given to the player and is given regardless of whether or not the player stays with the team. This guaranteed money still counts against the cap, but not the way you might think.

Is Ravens getting rid of Lamar Jackson?

Media members and fans have speculated about the future of Jackson due to a lack of a long-term contract to this point. However, there have been absolutely zero concrete reports from reputable sources about the Ravens getting rid of the quarterback.