For the Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson’s contract proves to be the gift that keeps on taking. In looking at their future expenses, one trend clearly sticks out: Watson’s contract isn’t the only anchor they’re shackled to. In recent years, they’ve had to use creative cap measures, largely to juggle Watson’s contract.
In 2026, we may see much of that come to a head. As it currently stands, the Browns have 11 players under contract whose deals void after this season. Teams use void years to minimize current cap space, but they have to pay it after the deal voids. And these contracts really, really add up.
Browns OGs Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio take up a heap of cash for 2026, the former accounting for $19,568,000 and the latter $23,504,000. Additionally, TE David Njoku has a 2026 cap hit of $24,331,000 right now despite no contract for 2026.
Those are just the three big-ticket items, but they even signed Devin Bush to a one-year, $3,235,000 contract this offseason with four void years. Because of that, they will still owe $1,440,000 against the cap for him in 2026. The Browns also have contracts voiding for Ethan Pocic, Jack Conklin, Jordan Hicks, Joe Flacco, Shelby Harris, Teven Jenkins and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
Add it all up, and it comes to a staggering $95,795,196 the Browns have tied up in voiding contracts. It’s no wonder that Over the Cap already has Cleveland projected at $37,034,973 over the cap for 2026. And there’s Deshaun Watson sitting there with his $80,716,514 cap hit, including $34,716,514 worth of prorations they can’t touch.
Now, granted, there are many ways in which the Browns can finagle this. If you sign a player to a voiding contract to extension, the contract obviously doesn’t void. Surely the Browns hope to do this with at least some of these players, David Njoku being the most obvious. They would love to keep Teller and Bitonio around, but both are nearing the end of their careers.
For example, between the time I wrote this and the time we published it, the Browns released Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. He entered 2025 with a $5,316,000 cap hit and $7,354,000 for 2026. Because they released him as a post-June cut, they saved $3,366,000 in cap space this year. But he now also remains on the books with dead money through 2028. The Browns lessened his burden for 2026, down to $4,750,000 with a total savings of $1,599,000. However, he now also counts $2,800,000 against the cap in 2027 and $850,000 in 2028. And he still counts $1,950,000 against the cap in 2025.
In other words, the nearly $100 million the Browns have tied up in voiding contracts isn’t as bad as it might initially sound or appear. But it’s still pretty bad, and it all goes back to Deshaun Watson. Owing him $46 million annually, they’ve had to maneuver around that. In the meantime, they saw little in return for what might be the single worst move in NFL history. At least the worst move from the acquiring side.
The Browns may also be hoping to claw back tens of millions of dollars from Deshaun Watson, which would help. The salary cap is sure to leap up once again in 2026, but they will need all the help they can get. They have kicked the can down the road for as long as they can, but the road is coming to an end.
