Browns Expected To Retain Denzel Ward

Considering Ward’s relationship with Garrett, it will be interesting to hear his opinion on the trade (if he offers one publicly). Back when Garrett asked out of Cleveland in February 2025, Ward said: “[The request] has a huge impact, honestly. I want to play with Myles Garrett.”

Ward got his wish for 2025 after Garrett quickly backed off his trade request to sign a contract extension. The pact could have kept Garrett in a Browns uniform through 2030, but the rebuilding club will now replace the future Hall of Famer with Jared Verse and add significant draft capital in the process.

There is an obvious drop-off from Garrett to Verse, which is certainly not a knock on the latter. In his two seasons in the NFL, Verse has collected Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a pair of Pro Bowl nods. The budding star should give the Browns a productive defender who is five years younger than Garrett and much less expensive. So, while Ward may prefer to play with Garrett, Verse is no slouch.

Like Garrett and Verse, Ward has enjoyed a decorated career. Since the Browns took Ward fourth overall in 2017, the Ohio native and former Ohio State Buckeye has gone to five Pro Bowls. Despite intercepting a career-low one pass over 15 games in 2025, he earned Pro Bowl honors for the third straight season. The 29-year-old has started 107 of 110 games as a Brown, deflected 104 passes and picked off 18. If he remains in Cleveland for ninth year in 2026, Ward will continue to start opposite Tyson Campbell.

Contractually, Ward is under wraps through 2027 on the five-year, $100.5MM extension he signed in 2022. The Browns restructured it earlier in the offseason to reduce Ward’s cap hit by $2MM, but he is still due to count $30.89MM this year. While dealing Ward would save the Browns $17.43MM in spending space this season, they would take on $13.46MM in dead money and another $18.69MM in ’27. The Browns are already set to spread $40MM-plus in dead cap from the Garrett trade over the next two years. They will also incur a combined $86.2MM charge from 2027-28 if they designate quarterback Deshaun Watson a post-June 1 release next offseason.