During the 2022 NFL offseason, a blockbuster trade for former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was agreed to. The Texans shipped Watson to the Cleveland Browns for a massive haul, contributing to their turnaround over the last year.
Not only did Watson receive a chance to play for a new team, but he also signed a lucrative, fully guaranteed deal with the Browns. Let’s take a look at Watson’s massive contract and net worth.
Deshaun Watson’s 2024 Deal
Watson inked a five-year, $230 million contract that was fully guaranteed. It remains the highest amount of guaranteed money for a single player in NFL history.
According to Over the Cap, Watson will count a whopping $63,774,678 against Cleveland’s cap this year in 2024. He has the highest cap hit on the Browns this season, making more than triple the amount of the second-highest. Watson’s salary for 2024 takes up 22% of Cleveland’s total cap space for this year.
Despite the numbers, due to the influx of quarterback deals over the last year, Watson ranks as the 10th-highest-paid NFL quarterback. His $46 million average annual salary comes in just ahead of Kirk Cousins ($45 million) and right behind Kyler Murray ($46.1 million).
What Is Watson’s Net Worth?
With him set to make over $63 million alone from football, Watson’s net worth for 2024 is in the $60+ million range.
According to Forbes, he’ll be making just $1 million from endorsements. He used to have deals with Nike, Beats by Dre, H-E-B, and Reliant Energy, but these companies decided to suspend their contracts with the star quarterback due to his off-field allegations.
Watson still has endorsement deals with other companies such as DraftKings, Epix, Gillette, Miller Lite, Oikos, Raising Cane’s, Rocket Mortgage, Samsung, Verizon, and Rolex.
Forbes also ranks Watson as the 45th-highest-paid athlete in the world for 2024. However, his salary is set at $47 million this year, which is much lower than his cap hit for this upcoming season.
Over the course of his career since being drafted in 2017, Watson has made $142,761,982. Historically speaking, he’s 29th all-time in NFL career earnings.
This number will obviously grow, assuming the Browns keep Watson for the duration of the deal. The highest-earning player in NFL history is still playing (New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers). Rodgers has made upwards of $343 million during his illustrious career.
It’s safe to say that Watson could’ve made a lot more money over the last few years if he wasn’t dropped from a few endorsement deals. His off-field allegations took a major toll on the potential of his net worth.
Despite the massive contract, Watson has played just 12 games in Cleveland over two years, missing contests due to a suspension and injuries.
