Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s second ruptured Achilles tendon could give the Browns their last, best chance to avoid paying the remaining $92 million he is owed under his fully guaranteed five-year contract.

The main question is whether he ruptured the tendon again because he did something that his contract expressly prohibits him from doing, according to the clauses covering his salary of $46 million in 2025 and his salary of $46 million Guarantee US dollars in 2026.

According to his contract, if Watson is injured “by skydiving, hang gliding, rock or mountain climbing, racing of any kind, including as a driver or passenger, motorcycling, use of any off-road or off-road vehicle,” professional wrestling, boxing, use, the warranties are void from firearms, scuba diving, jet skiing, surfing, bungee jumping, basketball, scuba diving and snow or water skiing.”

The team’s report on Watson’s re-injury states that he twisted his ankle in Miami. If he twisted his ankle because he did something he was specifically forbidden from doing and the injury was caused by that, the Browns have a way to avoid $92 million.

Although the Browns cannot prove that Watson engaged in activities that voided his guarantees, Current pictures on social media show him without hiking boots. Given the difficulty of rolling an ankle in a hiking boot, it is possible that he was not wearing a boot when he was supposed to be wearing a boot. If the team’s established rehab protocols required him to wear a cleat, that could be another way to void the guarantees.

The question here for the Browns is: Do they want to play hard with Watson? If this is the case, the first step is to fully investigate what he was doing when he twisted his ankle. The second step is to assess whether he twisted his ankle without wearing a hiking boot when he should have.

If there’s $92 million on the line and the contract has been a disaster for the Browns so far, why wouldn’t they explore every possible strategy to legitimately avoid the commitment? And since they employ a chief strategy officer, wouldn’t it be Paul DePodesta’s job to come up with a strategy to avoid $92 million in cash and cap space for a player they would undoubtedly cut if they could?

Given the size of the remaining payments, litigation would be inevitable if the Browns tried to cut Watson. And that opens the door to a deal with reduced guarantees and/or a reduced salary. Watson would have to decide whether to take an all-or-nothing risk in a complaint – or whether to manage the risk of loss by accepting less than he is owed.

Whatever the case, the Browns’ explicit statement that Watson twisted his ankle in Miami is a clear indication that they are considering their options. Just as they should be.

Time will tell what they decide to do. Based on the facts discovered during the team’s investigation into how, where and when the ankle was rolled, the Browns may be able to get out of the worst contract in NFL history.

UPDATE 12:08 p.m. ET: It is possible that the contribution of Meet the new Dov, who is just like the old Dov lies before the original violation despite the demand for a new Dov. Regardless, the point remains. The Browns said Watson twisted his ankle in Miami. If he did it while doing something his contract prohibits or if he didn’t follow his rehab plan, things could get interesting. And expensive. And possibly ugly.