In the NFL, when the dollars don’t add up for the suits, you better believe the drama is just getting started. Owners see those skyrocketing player paychecks and booming league revenues, but their pockets? Not feeling quite as fat. So yeah, they’re sharpening their pencils and gearing up to rework the cap system to protect their bottom line before the next CBA battle explodes. There is an interesting pattern of spending as the salary cap rises.

Analyst Warren Sharp shares that teams are willing to pay in cash with lower cap hits, like void years. Between 2013 and 2024, teams with more cash than cap hit have risen from 16 to 27, while those spending more in cash have also risen from 6 to 16. Cleveland Sports reporter Matt Fontana brought attention to a very important point. But there’s a storm brewing for the Browns.

When the Cleveland Browns dropped a blockbuster contract on Deshaun Watson, the football world took notice. A veteran move meant to shake up the league and instantly vault Cleveland into contender status. But now? That remaining $47 million base salary looming in 2025 and 2026 isn’t just a payday — it’s a financial landmine threatening to blow up the Browns’ cap and their Super Bowl hopes.

Watson was supposed to be the Browns’ silent assassin, the locker-room leader who’d pull the team out of mediocrity and into the postseason spotlight. Instead, injuries, inconsistent play, and off-field distractions have turned that $47 million ($1.2 million in 2025 and $46 million 2026) star into a monumental headache.

Analyst Max Loeb claimed a few days back that HC Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry have slammed the door shut on Deshaun Watson. According to him, there’s “no way” they want Watson taking snaps anytime soon. The signal’s clear: Watson’s sidelined for good in their eyes.

As per Over The Cap, the Cleveland Browns are facing a complex salary cap scenario for the 2025 season. The team’s total cap liabilities are approximately $347.5 million, with the top 51 contracts accounting for $253.6 million. This leaves the team with an estimated $16.9 million in cap space to sort out the rest.

Watson has already become the poster child for contracts gone wrong. But there is still hope. If the franchise continues with him, he could do a turnaround. But Roger Goodell’s decision might have a huge impact.

Roger Goodell doubts integrity of current salary cap

According to Goodell, there are currently no formal plans for discussions with the players’ union. While he acknowledged ongoing communication, he emphasized that negotiations haven’t been set or are under consideration at this point. However, he and the 32 owners did discuss their concerns at length.

Commissioner said, “The two areas that we spent time on were really the (salary) cap system itself, the integrity of that system, how’s it working, where do we need to address that in the context of collective bargaining, when that does happen. That was a very lengthy discussion.” That’s when Fontana also chimed in, claiming the players are happy with upfront cash they get. And the chances of NFLPA accepting any change are very less.

However, everyone in the league will agree with the other concern. They want to go international, almost 16 games per year. Also, Roger Goodell wants to increase the games from 17 to 18. That’s a tightrope. Players and coaches fear injuries, but the owners see dollars.

The changing media landscape has forced them to be on their toes. It’s about whether the NFL can truly call itself a league for the people or just a money machine for the elite.