Sources: Browns' Ward again NFL's top-paid DB — SkimNews
SkimNews Take
Cleveland's choice of a two-year structure signals a recurring contract treadmill for elite cornerbacks, with short extensions that reset the market ceiling before either side commits to long-term.
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- Denzel Ward signed a 2-year, $62.2 million extension with the Cleveland Browns featuring $52.3 million guaranteed, reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
- The deal's $31.1 million annual average makes Ward the NFL's highest-paid defensive back for the second time in his career.
- Following Myles Garrett's June trade to the Los Angeles Rams, Ward became Cleveland's longest-tenured player; GM Andrew Berry publicly stated his desire to retain Ward, who grew up in a Cleveland suburb.
- The extension replaces Ward's prior 5-year, $100 million deal signed April 2022, which had two years remaining but no guaranteed salary left.
- The No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft has totaled 18 interceptions, 104 passes defended, and 361 tackles across eight seasons, posting 39 tackles and one interception in 15 games last year.
Why it matters: A 5-time Pro Bowl cornerback at 29 has become the most expensive defensive back in football for the second time, giving Cleveland a clear veteran anchor after trading its defensive face, Myles Garrett, to the Rams in June. The two-year structure puts Ward back on the market at 31 and locks Cleveland into a short-window commitment to its secondary.
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