Cleveland Browns have made strange changes to Deshaun Watson’s contract

The Deshaun Watson saga in Cleveland took a new turn when a new sexual assault lawsuit was filed against the 28-year-old in Houston, Texas.

News of the lawsuit sparked numerous conversations during the second week of the season about whether the Browns could opt out of Watson's contract. Reports from people with relevant knowledge of the quarterback's contract have indicated that the team could do just that if he is suspended by the league. This latest lawsuit was not communicated to the team in writing before the contract was signed.

According to a report by NFL insider Jay Glazer, the Browns made some changes to Watson's contract when restructuring his contract a few weeks ago. As Glazer explained on FOX's pre-game show, they removed some language that could have protected Watson from further suspensions.

“The original contract for Deshaun Watson actually had protections in it, even if he was suspended in the 2023 or 2022 season, he wouldn't lose any guarantees,” Glazer said. “In August, they very quietly restructured his contract. When they restructured it, they didn't put in the same protections for the next few years. So if he gets suspended in the future, there's a chance they could go back and claim some of those guarantees.”

As of now, the league is investigating the new lawsuit against Watson under the rules of conduct. The Browns have said they will await the outcome of the legal proceedings.

Cleveland's signal caller is not facing a suspension in the meantime, but the league is expected to meet with the plaintiff in the case in a few weeks.