The Cleveland Browns might have traded All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett this offseason, but five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward isn’t going anywhere. The Browns and Ward have agreed on a two-year, $62.2 million extension, per NFL Network.
The extension will make Ward the highest paid cornerback in the NFL for the second time in his career. The deal includes $52.3 million guaranteed, which now ranks just outside the top 10 in cornerback guaranteed money.
Ward and Tyson Campbell each have more than $50 million guaranteed on their contracts, per Over The Cap. Their combined $105.7 million in guarantees marks the highest total for a cornerback tandem on the same team in NFL history.
The Browns are coming off a 5-12 season, but Ward has been one of the most tenured players on the team. He was the fourth overall pick out in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ohio State and has since become one of the league’s best cornerbacks, earning five Pro Bowl selections.
Ward, 29, has made quite the impact since entering the league. He recorded two interceptions in his first NFL game, becoming the fourth-youngest player in league history with a multi-interception game.
Not only is Ward a hometown talent who’s entering his ninth NFL season with the Browns, but he’s one of the very few cornerbacks that remain with the team that drafted him. Since entering the league, he’s done nothing short but live up to his draft capital.
Ward leads the league in NFL pass deflections since entering the league and has become one of the most reliable defenders. For a team that just lost an All-Pro and Hall of Fame player in Garrett, locking up a player like Ward was at the top of the checklist for general manager Andrew Berry.
While Ward is coming off a quieter season in production, his full body of work made this extension an easy decision for Berry and the front office. Across 15 games last season, Ward recorded 39 tackles, nine pass deflections, and an interception.
The Browns’ revamped secondary moving forward will include Ward and Campbell alongside safeties Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, and Toledo rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Recently hired defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg should have plenty of talent to work with.
All eyes will be on Cleveland this season following the hire of former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as head coach. Rebuilding won’t happen overnight, but locking down a talent like Ward sets the baseline for the culture Monken wants to build.