Browns sign Denzel Ward $62.2M extension highest paid CB

The Cleveland Browns have secured the long-term future of their defensive cornerstone, agreeing to a two-year, $62.2 million contract extension with five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The deal, which includes $52.3 million guaranteed, makes Ward the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history for the second time in his career.

Ward, 29, had two years remaining on his previous contract, a five-year, $100 million extension signed in 2022 that initially set the market for defensive backs. His new pact, averaging $31.1 million per season, narrowly surpasses the $31 million annual value of the Los Angeles Rams' Trent McDuffie. The agreement ends months of speculation about Ward's future in Cleveland, which intensified after the Browns traded All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett to the Rams on June 1.

The Ohio native and former Ohio State standout has spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Browns, who selected him fourth overall in the 2018 draft. He has developed into one of the league's most reliable defenders, earning Pro Bowl honors in each of the last three seasons. For his career, Ward has recorded 18 interceptions, 361 tackles, and a...