A big question surrounding Deshaun Watson’s Achilles injury: How much did his salary cost the Browns?
October 21, 2024 2024-10-21 5:46A big question surrounding Deshaun Watson’s Achilles injury: How much did his salary cost the Browns?
A big question surrounding Deshaun Watson’s Achilles injury: How much did his salary cost the Browns?
Introduction: A big question surrounding
With the NFL’s highest-paid player dealing
with a serious season-ending injury, that’s one
of the big questions that awaits him in the wake of
disaster. How much was the insurance
amount in this player’s contract? That’s it.
After identifying the nature of the injury,
addressing the player’s physical and mental health, and taking a step
back to understand the path forward, the reality of the financial
impact begins. And for the Cleveland Browns and
Deshaun Watson, the impact could be huge, especially
when it comes to the insurance that covers his 2024 salary.
At least some of Watson’s remaining salary in 2024
will actually be covered by insurance, according
to two sources familiar with Watson’s contract. It’s
unclear exactly how much he will be compensated for
a potential season-ending Achilles tendon injury and how much
of that compensation could count toward the salary cap
increase in 2025. The main reason for this is that only
the Browns and their chosen insurance company know
the exact wording and content. Payment of insurance claims.
Not all injuries are covered (although Achilles tendon injuries
are considered fairly common). The amount of coverage
varies depending on the premium the team chooses.
“The cap (in 2025) will reflect the amount paid,”
a source told Yahoo Sports. “Or if they say something,
whatever the Browns reveal. I doubt they’ll bring it up.
Most teams don’t like to talk about insurance policies.”
Watson’s base salary for 2025 and 2026
Was $46 million per season. But since Cleveland extended his contract and added a void year (to create cap space in 2023 and 2024), his cap value is very high. If traded or released this season, Brown’s total cap hit in 2025 would be $172.7 million. If the company refuses to assume the remaining $92 million in guarantees for the remaining $92 million in 2025 and 2026, Watson will be effectively incapacitated.
Brown said the only restriction at this point comes from his 2024 salary insurance, which covers the remainder of this season and part of 2025, the start of next season.