5 highest-paid players in Browns' history feat. Deshaun Watson, Myles Garrett and more

The Cleveland Browns look like a team on the rise, considering how significantly they improved from their 7-10 record in the NFL in 2022 to an impressive 11-6 record last season. When the 2024 season begins, the Browns will be focused on building upon their productive season from the previous year in an attempt to make it to their first-ever Super Bowl.

Let's examine the players who have made the most money from the team throughout its history.

Five highest-paid players in Cleveland Browns' history

5) Joe Haden, Cornerback - $75,071,755

Joe Haden played for the Cleveland Browns for the first seven years of his career before being cut in August 2017. With the Browns, he was selected to the Pro Bowl twice and was a 2013 second-team All-Pro. Haden amassed 19 interceptions throughout his seven seasons with the organization.

As per Spotrac, Haden earned an estimated total of $75 million during his tenure in Cleveland.

4) Joel Bitonio, Guard - $76,196,955

Joel Bitonio's value to Cleveland's offensive line was highlighted last year when he was selected for his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl as a starter. Entering his tenth season as the team's starting left guard, Bitonio is still doing a great job in his current position.

Spotrac estimates that Bitonio has made $76.1 million in salary throughout his NFL career.

3) Deshaun Watson, Quarterback - $91,367,500

Cleveland made a big effort to sign Deshaun Watson in 2022, despite the fact that the quarterback did not play at all during the 2021 season. That decision is currently looking like one of the worst decisions made in the NFL, given that Watson has only appeared in 12 games over his two years with the team.

Watson was suspended in 2022 after more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct, which caused him to miss 11 games. Injuries also kept him out of action for the majority of the 2023 season, and in the few games he did play, he fared poorly.

Despite playing in only 12 games in two years, he has made $91.3 million as per Spotrac. The Browns are hopeful that Watson will find his form quickly and return to the player he was for the Houston Texans during his first three years in the league.

2) Myles Garrett, Defensive End - $104,524,426

Cleveland selected Myles Garrett with the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, and the team has mostly benefited from that choice. Garrett was the Defensive Player of the Year last season and has been selected to five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro teams since he entered the league.

Garrett is perhaps the best defensive player in the league right now, and the Browns have generously rewarded him for his abilities. According to Spotrac, the player has made over $104 million throughout his seven seasons with the Browns.

1) Joe Thomas, Offensive Tackle - $122,850,000

Cleveland drafted Joe Thomas third overall in the 2007 draft, and he immediately showed how good he was from his first season. The Hall of Famer not only made it to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season but also came in second in the NFL's voting for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was selected to the Pro Bowl every other season throughout his career, except his final season, when he played in just seven games due to a triceps tear.

Thomas remains the only offensive lineman in NFL history to begin his career with ten consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He never won a playoff game in his career, but he's the player to have earned the most money in Cleveland Browns' history, with more than $122 million, as per Spotrac.