Getty Images

When the Browns cut quarterback Johnny Manziel after two years of his four-year contract and no team claimed the contract on waivers, the Browns landed on the hook for the remaining guaranteed money in his contract.

His salary of $1.169 million is fully guaranteed for 2016, along with $1.004 million of his 2017 salary. But the contract, as PFT previously has explained, contemplates the voiding of the guarantees for a variety of reasons.

One of the triggers is an NFL-imposed suspension. Which means that the Browns, if the report of a Manziel suspension is accurate, could avoid the $2.173 million in guaranteed money he’s still owed.

The biggest question in this regard relates to the impact of the team waiving him before he was suspended. For example, there’s no way that the Browns would be able to recover signing bonus money due to the suspension, given that he’s no longer on the team. Ultimately, lawyers could be tussling over whether a team can void guarantees due to a suspension occurring after the player’s contract was terminated.