Since the 2022 offseason when the Cleveland Browns signed quarterback Deshaun Watson to a 5-year $230 million dollar fully guaranteed contract, much speculation has circulated about the Cleveland Browns salary cap situation. Watson and the Browns are currently in the third year of this contract. And to be honest Watson hasn’t worked out for the Browns. Injuries and suspension along with poor quarterback play plagued Watsons tenure with the Browns. While there is much speculation on the salary cap hit with Watson’s contract. He is currently on injured reserve with an Achilles Tendon injury and much misinformation is being circulated. The question to ask is what are the facts regarding the Cleveland Browns salary cap?

The best resource for the NFL Salary Cap is: https://overthecap.com/   And according to that website the Cleveland Browns have the second most salary cap space with $46,286,500 in cap space. They are only behind the San Francisco 49ers. And in 2025 the Browns are projected to be over the salary cap by $8,471,992. That is manageable for the Browns. A few contract restructures and they are well under the cap. Decisions by the Cleveland Browns front office will have to be made for many roster spots including quarterback. Deshaun Watson’s contract expires after the 2026 season. With the seriousness of his injury, what could the Browns do at quarterback for the present and the future?

Recently Browns fans are hearing buzz about drafting a quarterback in April of 2025 with their first-round pick. I am not sure if that is what they are going to do. I could see them bringing in a quality veteran quarterback like Kirk Cousins to bridge the quarterback of the future. That quarterback of the future could be drafted as late as the 2026 draft.

The Cleveland Browns anticipate the NFL Salary Cap increasing every year. That with a cash rich owner restructuring contracts this situation is manageable. The Browns do have talent on their roster, they are underperforming this season. I suggest we take a look at our rivals down the turnpike. The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been a gold standard of NFL stability. That is because they don’t panic or make rash decisions and neither should the Cleveland Browns.