The Cleveland Browns have agreed to a restructured contract with Deshaun Watson that creates significant salary cap flexibility for the team, and many fans cracked the same joke about the news.
The Browns restructured Watson’s contract on Thursday to free up $35.8 million in salary cap space, according to multiple reports. A large portion of Watson’s salary for 2025 was converted into a signing bonus. The quarterback has two years remaining on the 5-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract he signed in 2022.
Watson still carries massive salary cap and/or dead cap hits for the next three years, so the Browns have essentially kicked the problem further down the road.
There were plenty of jokes on social media after news of Watson’s restructure surfaced. As you might expect, many of them had to do with the former Pro Bowl quarterback’s infamous massage scandal.
Grossest massaging of a team’s cap space EVER!! pic.twitter.com/EeOcg71FYN
— Dennis M Roy (@roydawg_13) March 6, 2025
Massaging the salary cap
— Meech (@BigMeech51) March 6, 2025
Massaged the cap to create happy endings all around
— ADavis (@AntDavis07Horn) March 6, 2025
Massaging a few extra dollars out of him?
— jebediah springfield (@jebediahspring) March 6, 2025
Browns told Watson they needed to massage the cap and he was all for it https://t.co/6gI9iypIVM
— There’s Always Next Year (pt 13) (@seanyboy4415) March 6, 2025
It is still possible that Watson has played his last snap with the Browns. The quarterback suffered a torn Achilles last season and then had a major setback with the injury, so his status for 2025 is in question.
The Browns need a new starting quarterback, and there is a chance they could draft either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with the No. 2 overall pick. They also could sign a veteran like Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins. Ironically, Watson’s restructure has probably made it easier for Cleveland to find his replacement.
