In the NFL, money always talks. And the key for any contract is the full guarantee at signing.
The initial report regarding the Joe Flacco contract in Cleveland called it a one-year, $4 million base deal. The guarantee wasn’t specified.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Flacco’s full guarantee at signing is $3 million.
With Kenny Pickett at $2,623,350 (fully guaranteed) and Deshaun Watson at $46 million (fully guaranteed), that’s $51.623 million in cash commitments to Cleveland quarterbacks for 2025.
That doesn’t necessarily knock them out of the conversation for another quarterback in the draft. They still need three on the active depth chart (Watson likely won’t be one of them), and a rookie would come at a low cost, relative to a veteran.
At this point, it’s unlikely the Browns will take a quarterback with the second overall pick. They could take a quarterback with their second-round pick, or they could trade back into the bottom of round one. Or they could draft one in any other round.
Then there’s the possibility that Flacco or Pickett could be traded, if they make another move at the position. After the draft, there might still be needs elsewhere. And the Browns could flip either guy, if they decide they have a crowded house at the position.
The biggest problem in Cleveland is the elephant in the room. Deshaun Watson’s albatross of a contract makes it challenging, to say the least, to address the most important position on the team. While they’re doing their best to whip up a batch of elephant salad, Browns fans have to feel like they’re stuck in a perpetual pile of elephant shit.
