Huge splash: According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Steelers Rival Executes Major Cap Adjustment; Possible Trade on the Horizon

PITTSBURGH — The Cleveland Browns are addressing a concern that both the Pittsburgh Steelers and others shared about their quarterback, Deshaun Watson. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Browns have restructured Watson’s contract to alleviate some financial pressure.

This restructuring converts $44.79 million into a signing bonus, freeing up an additional $35.832 million in cap space. As they gear up for the regular season, the Browns now boast over $62 million in salary cap space, the highest in the NFL.

The Browns might be aiming to make things tougher for the Steelers while possibly re-entering the discussion around Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk remains away from the San Francisco 49ers, with the Steelers being the only team still waiting on potential trade news. However, the Browns have shown interest throughout the process.

Reportedly, Cleveland made an offer that caught the 49ers’ attention, but Aiyuk wasn’t keen on joining the Browns. With their newly acquired cap space, Cleveland might be planning to sweeten their contract offer enough to make Aiyuk reconsider. It’s expected that wide receiver Amari Cooper would be part of the trade package for Aiyuk.

Of course, this is speculative, but teams often have a motive behind such financial maneuvers. When a team clears significant cap space, it usually hints at a big move on the horizon. For instance, the Steelers restructured linebacker Alex Highsmith’s contract, signaling they might be preparing for a wide receiver trade.

Perhaps Cleveland is following a similar strategy with Watson’s contract.

Watson signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns in 2022. In the 2025 and 2026 seasons, he will carry a cap hit exceeding $72 million for Cleveland.