When will Deshaun Watson come back for the Browns? Does he still get paid through injury?
The Browns quarterback saw what was meant to be his comeback season derailed by injury. The question now is when will he return and at what cost?
Following a 2023 season that was absolutely destroyed by injuries, one of the league’s highest-earning signal callers is set to return to the fold in 2024. How things will go when he finally does remain to be seen, and that’s before we touch on what he’s been paid during the time that he couldn’t play.
What’s the situation with Deshaun Watson right now?
Before we discuss the present, let’s take a quick look at the recent past. If you’ve been following, then it won’t take you long to realize that Deshaun Watson’s 2023 season was all but lost. As early as Week 3, the 28-year-old found himself on the injured reserve after hurting his rotator cuff. Indeed, that injury resulted in two missed starts before he returned in Week 7 against the Colts. Sadly, things only went from bad to worse as Watson was hurt once again during the clash with the Colts which resulted in him missing Week 8′s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
From there, things would be touch and go but ultimately, Watson would face another setback after he aggravated the injury in Week 10′s win over the Baltimore Ravens. Shortly after the victory, the Browns announced that Watson would require surgery and as a result, would miss the rest of the season. Since his operation on November 21st, last year, Watson has been spending time in Los Angeles recovering, however, he has remained as close as possible to the team, something that head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke directly to. “Been staying in touch with him all week,” Stefanski said Friday. “We’re excited he’s going to be back in the building next week with us. He’s living and dying from LA watching us play, but he’s supporting his teammates every day, and it’ll be good to have him back in-person.”
So, when is Deshaun Watson going to return?
While he didn’t manage to play even half the season, Watson’s contribution was very much welcome for the Browns as he completed 61.4% of his passes for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions across six starts. Indeed, it only serves to fuel the frustration for both he and the teams as both would have been hoping for a breakout year. At present, the Browns are 11-6 in the AFC North and in control of their destiny where the postseason is concerned. That’s to say they’ve got to this point without their star. On the other hand, one has to imagine they’d have him back right now if they could. As for when that will be, there has been no official word on a return date but what we do know is that Deshaun Watson won’t play again until next season.
OK, but is Deshaun Watson getting paid during this time?
Yes, he is, and a whole lot too. If you didn’t know, Watson is sitting on one of the biggest contracts in the NFL and what’s more, is that the money involved is fully guaranteed. To be clear, the Browns QB signed a five-year, $230 million contract during the 2022 offseason. The deal included a $44.965 million signing bonus and all $230 million fully guaranteed, the highest amount of guaranteed money of any player in NFL history. To that end, Watson has an average base salary of $46 million per year, making him one of the highest-paid QBs in the league. If you want some perspective, you can think about it like this: In 2022, Watson played only six games after serving an 11-game suspension. Due to injury, 2023 has seen him start the same amount of games, meaning he’s got an 8-4 record across two seasons in Cleveland. What have those 12 games cost the Browns? Roughly $91 million. You do the math.