A second surgery on Deshaun Watson’s right Achilles tendon rupture certainly is a setback for him.
Ginnitti speculated the Browns could do another salary-to-bonus conversion with Watson this year to reduce his $72.9 million cap figure to $37 million.
Under this scenario, Watson would be off the roster in 2026 and off the salary cap rolls after 2027.
Further, the Browns reportedly purchased insurance to cover about $44 million of Watson’s scheduled base salary of $46 million in 2025.
If he doesn’t play in 2025, they would receive salary cap relief for the insured amount in 2026.
Editor’s note: Tony Grossi is an analyst for 850 ESPN Cleveland and TheLandOnDemand.com for the Cleveland Browns. Since 1984, he has covered the Browns.
Deshaun Watson’s right Achilles tendon rupture necessitates a second surgery, which is undoubtedly a blow to him.
Possibly not for the Browns, though.
The team confirmed that Watson, whose Achilles was first repaired on October 25, had another surgery on Thursday to fix another rupture. Both procedures were carried out by Charlotte, North Carolina, podiatrist Dr. Bob Anderson.
Over the past two years, Watson has now experienced two separate shoulder injuries that required surgery, as well as two ruptured Achilles and surgeries.
How was the most recent setback caused?
“After rolling his ankle in Miami, Watson complained of discomfort when he reported to the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus earlier this week for his exit physical as part of the Browns’ season-ending procedure,” the team said in a statement.
It’s unclear if Watson rolled his ankle during medically supervised rehabilitation or if it had nothing to do with it. The circumstances weren’t made clear in the statement. GM Andrew Berry didn’t either when he initially announced a setback on Monday.
“Watson’s recovery time and return to play status is uncertain, and he will likely miss significant time during the 2025 season,” the statement came to conclude. “.”.
Coincidentally, all of this occurred after the Browns added new “dummy years” to Watson’s contract, supposedly to lower his dead salary cap charges when his contract expires.
The founder and managing director of Spotrac, Mike Ginnitti, has suggested a way for the Browns to get rid of Watson, who has turned into an albatross. Ginnitti hypothesized that the Browns might reduce Watson’s $72 point 9 million cap figure to $37 million this season by converting his salary to bonuses once more. Then, in March 2026, they might plan to release Watson after June 1st, which would mean salary cap charges of $46 million in 2026 and $89 million in 2027.
Watson would not be on the roster in 2026 and would not be subject to the salary cap after 2027 in this scenario.
In addition, the Browns allegedly bought insurance to pay roughly $44 million of Watson’s projected $46 million base salary in 2025. They will get salary cap relief for the insured amount in 2026 if he doesn’t play in 2025.
The Browns’ decision to rebuild their quarterback room and cut ties with Watson following the 2025 season would become more apparent as a result.
On Monday, Berry reflected on the costly trade for Watson in 2022 and stated, “There is no such thing as a riskless transaction.”. And we always strive to protect our downside as much as possible.
“And we will be in a position going forward in terms of both cap and—I hate how we got here, but—having the second pick in the draft gives us the chance to really change course if necessary, whether we choose to select a player or use it to maximize in another way. “”.
That is, the finish line is now within sight.
