Deshaun Watson's contract gives Browns upper-hand in case of suspensions from sexual assault allegations

The sports world is currently divided on where to stand with the Cleveland Browns after they made a blockbuster trade to acquire controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The Browns burnt the bridge between them and quarterback Baker Mayfield over the last week. They stated there was a search for a more "adult" quarterback to replace him and have even declined his request for a trade. Now that Cleveland has given away three first-round picks, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick, it seems Deshaun Watson is viewed as the future starter and the team has little draft stock for the future.

Upon the trade being finalized, the Browns were reported to have also signed Watson to a new contract: $230 million over five years, all guaranteed. It was a last-ditch effort to persuade Watson to waive his no-trade clause to come to Cleveland. It's such a massive contract for a player who could still potentially miss the entire 2022 season, but the Browns did weasel in a loophole to counter that.

For the 2022 season, Deshaun Watson receives a $45 million signing bonus, but his cap hit/base salary will only be $1 million. It's simple, yet effective, and the Browns will only be out $1 million if the NFL suspends him for the season.

Browns trading for Deshaun Watson has left fanbase in shambles

The reason the Cleveland Browns were able to trade for Deshaun Watson should have been a red flag for them. Several teams were in play to send offers to the Houston Texans for the quarterback, but they started to drop out of contention one by one. The only teams left in the end were the dark-horse Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints.

Teams seemingly started to realize there would be major backlash from their fanbase and possibly even sponsors if a trade was completed. That's exactly what happened to the Browns. Now everyone has different beliefs and views and an NFL insider stated he knows of several people within the organization that are on both sides of the fence about Watson. It's a good business move as Watson is arguably a top-five quarterback. But it's also a horrible move as it has isolated a portion of the fanbase.

Any player facing major allegations will have some fans turn on them. This has happened in the past with Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger to a point. But Watson is on another level with dozens of sexual assault allegations against him. It's still unclear if Watson will even play next season or if he can help the team win games.