Browns sign Pro Bowl CB Denzel Ward to 2-year extension: Source

The Cleveland Browns and Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward are in agreement on a two-year contract extension, according to a team source. The deal likely ensures he won’t be traded as the team’s roster rebuild continues.

ESPN was first to report the extension worth up to $62.2 million on Tuesday, the day Ward and other Cleveland veterans reported to training camp. Ward, 29, was already signed through 2027 and had been set to play 2026 on a base salary of almost $17 million.

The Browns in June traded two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for defensive end Jared Verse and three picks. The Browns expect to be one of the league’s youngest teams in 2026 and currently have 11 picks in the 2027 draft, two in the first round. But they’re committing to Ward with an amended deal that will, at least for now, make him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history

Even as the Browns’ quarterback situation remains unsettled, Ward is a big part of what still should be a good defense. Verse is currently under team control for three more seasons, and linebacker Carson Schwesinger was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2025.

With Ward now extended, it’s fair to wonder if safety Grant Delpit will be next, as he is currently only signed through 2026 and had his best season in 2025.

Ward was the No. 4 pick in 2018, the same draft in which the Browns chose quarterback Baker Mayfield at No. 1 and running back Nick Chubb early in the second round. Ward grew up in Northeast Ohio and played at Ohio State before being selected by the Browns in what was a bit of a surprise selection, but Ward quietly — which is his preferred style — became one of the league’s best cornerbacks.

Ward has 18 interceptions in 110 career games and has been named to the Pro Bowl after each of the past three seasons. Though he’s had concussion issues throughout his career, Ward only missed three games over the past two seasons.