USA Today Sports
That would have been bad for the Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson He was suspended for the full season. Arguably it wasn’t too bad for Browns.
If Watson misses the entire season, his contract will remain valid until next year. It would have been a real suspension of his career. He would have earned the 2023 minimum salary (something in the $1 million range), instead of the $46 million he was set to earn. He was going to be under contract until 2027, not 2026.
The suspension of 11 matches does not affect his contract. (Some suggest that a 12-game suspension would have delayed his contract by a year. Without going into specifics, this is incorrect.) Thus, next year, Brown will have to pay Watson $46 million, excluding restructuring. And they’ll only have it until 2026, not 2027 – except for the extension.
What will six games with Watson do for the Browns in 2022? Perhaps they will go through a rough stream in the water and have a chance to warm up. But when he returns in December, it will be nearly 23 months since he last played in the regular season.
Whatever Brown does this year, not having Watson in 11 games will make it difficult to get there. But it is still considered the first of five years under his contract. He will only have four years left from 2023.
So, yes, arguably it would have been better for Brown not to have Watsons at all in 2022. Especially if, when he returns, they are in the 4-7 range or worse.
