Sports
Reports: Browns restructure Deshaun Watson's contract, clear cap space
Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) runs from Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Amid a salary cap crunch, the Cleveland Browns have renegotiated quarterback Deshaun Watson’s salary, clearing nearly $36 million of cap space, multiple outlets reported Thursday.
With free agency opening next week, the Browns needed to clear $23 million in cap space to become cap compliant. And that made Watson’s $72.7 million cap hit in 2025 a target.
Spotrac reported the Browns converted $44.745 million of his salary into a restructure bonus, leaving Watson with a base salary of $1.255 million. The 2027 season also was voided.
The Browns acquired Watson and a sixth-round draft pick on March 18, 2022, in a trade with the Texans, sending three first-round draft picks, a third-round pick and two four-round picks to Houston.
The team completed the trade despite Watson being investigated in Houston after about two dozen massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct. He signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Browns.
Watson, 29, was a three-time Pro Bowl selection with Houston, but a bust in Cleveland.
Because of an NFL suspension following the investigation and assorted injuries, Watson has played in just 19 games (of 51 possible) in three seasons in Cleveland and is 9-10 as a starter. He is expected to miss the 2025 season as he recovers from a second surgery for a torn Achilles.
With the Browns, Watson has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Twins top White Sox, halting Davis Martin's win streak at 6
Jun 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (15) hits a RBI double during the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images Tristan Gray went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
Luke Keaschall added a pair of hits and drove in two runs for Minnesota, which secured a series victory. Alex Jackson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Miguel Vargas went 1-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Chicago at the plate. The White Sox have dropped back-to-back games after winning their previous five in a row.
Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-3) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
White Sox right-hander Davis Martin (8-2) endured his shortest outing of the season. Martin gave up six runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak and he suffered his first setback since April 10.
Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez got the final four outs to record his fourth save.
The White Sox opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the third.
Luisangel Acuna started the action when he drew a leadoff walk, stole second and third base and scored on a throwing error by Jackson. The White Sox had runners on second and third with one out later in the inning, and Vargas delivered with a two-run single to left to make it 3-0.
The hit gave Vargas six RBIs in the first two games of the series.
The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Brooks Lee hit a sacrifice fly to left, plating Gray.
Minnesota added four runs in the fourth to seize a 5-3 lead.
Keaschall started the scoring with an RBI single to left. Gray followed with a go-ahead, two-run single to left, and Jackson capped the outburst with an RBI single to right.
Gray, who hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in the series opener, has 11 RBIs in his past five games.
The Twins increased their lead to 6-3 on another RBI single by Keaschall in the fifth.
Chase Meidroth notched an RBI infield single in the seventh to cut Chicago’s deficit to 6-4. But he fanned to end the eighth with two runners on base.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers score 3 runs in 9th inning to subdue Cardinals
Jun 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Nicky Lopez (33) throws out St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Joc Pederson had three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in a three-run ninth inning, and the visiting Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 on Tuesday.
Josh Jung followed with a run-scoring single against Riley O’Brien (3-3) to help Texas extend its winning streak to a season-high five games. Pederson scored on Brandon Nimmo’s sacrifice fly to cap the decisive rally.
Kyle Higashioka had three hits for the Rangers, who won despite being outhit 13-9.
Cal Quantrill (3-0) recorded the final out in the eighth inning before Jakob Junis worked around a two-out single in the ninth for his fourth save.
Nolan Gorman hit a solo homer for St. Louis, which lost for the seventh time in its last nine games. Alec Burleson and Jimmy Crooks each contributed a pair of hits and an RBI. The Cardinals went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 baserunners.
The Rangers’ starting rotation shutout streak ended at 28 innings with a run in the second inning against Nathan Eovaldi, who allowed Crooks’ one-out RBI single.
The 28-inning scoreless streak is the third-longest in franchise history and the longest for Texas since July 9-16, 2011, when the run ended after 30 1/3 scoreless frames.
Gorman added to the lead with a one-out homer in the fourth inning. The 373-foot shot was Gorman’s seventh homer this season.
Texas pulled even with two runs against Dustin May in the fifth inning. Evan Carter hit a one-out single, moved to third on Higashioka’s single and scored on Nicky Lopez’s fielder’s choice grounder. Pederson tied the game with an RBI double to right field, scoring Lopez from first.
The Rangers moved ahead in the sixth inning when Alejandro Osuna’s two-out single scored Jake Burger from second base.
May allowed three runs on five hits with two walks and nine strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.
Texas added to its lead with a run in the seventh inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Higashioka scored on Jung’s sacrifice fly.
St. Louis pulled even in the bottom of the seventh. Burleson doubled in a run and Jordan Walker added an RBI single against Eovaldi, who gave up four runs on 11 hits with one walk and seven strikeouts over six-plus innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Aaron Donald’s Return Would Make the Rams’ Myles Garrett Trade a Victory
If Aaron Donald comes out of retirement to suit up for the Rams, then Los Angeles officially wins the Myles Garrett trade.
Really, if the trade results in a Super Bowl championship for Los Angeles, the trade is a win. But Donald and Garrett on the same defensive line with that offense would be lethal.
According to ESPN’s Pat McAfee and NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Donald is contemplating coming out of retirement if he could find the fire to lace up the cleats one more time. Garrett’s arrival in Los Angeles has piqued Donald’s interest following the legendary defensive tackle’s retirement in 2024.
Garrett, Donald and newly-acquired superstar cornerback Trent McDuffie would make life a living hell for NFC West quarterbacks including turnover-prone Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett and Brock Purdy. The Rams are already a big Super Bowl favorite, if they added Donald, even at 35, those odds would move even further.
The Rams sent the Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse, a 2027 first round pick, 2028 second round pick and 2029 third round pick. After Rams general manager Les Snead drafted Ty Simpson No. 13 overall, Los Angeles felt comfortable going all in for Garrett.
A Super Bowl is the expectation. Anything less would be a disappointment.
Offensively, the Rams should be loaded. They’re returning Matthew Stafford for his age 38 season. The reigning MVP is defying time, battling through back injuries to lead the Rams through another Super Bowl title window. Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams are all star players in their respective ways, giving Stafford plenty of options to put up points.
Why Garrett could be even more dangerous on the Rams
That’s what could make this Garrett thing even more lethal, with or without Donald in Los Angeles.
Last season, Garrett broke the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23. The Browns won only five games. Many of Cleveland’s 12 losses were blowout defeats. Yet still, Garrett was finding ways to get sacks when the other team was running the ball with a massive lead.
In Los Angeles, Garrett will be exposed to something relatively unfamiliar – playing with the lead. This is going to allow him to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback at a rate unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. If Donald returns, opposing offensive lines won’t sleep the entire week leading up to the Rams on the schedule.
Even after breaking the single-season sack record and winning back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, Garrett still feels underrated. But he’s such a generational talent that his arrival in Los Angeles is causing another all-time great in Donald to contemplate giving it one last go.
Twins top White Sox, halting Davis Martin's win streak at 6
Rangers score 3 runs in 9th inning to subdue Cardinals
