Denzel Ward extension makes Browns corner NFL’s top-paid DB again
Denzel Ward agreed to a two-year, $62.2 million Browns extension with $52.3 million guaranteed, according to reports.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Denzel Ward’s extension with the Cleveland Browns puts him back at the top of the NFL defensive back pay chart, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Browns and Ward agreed to a two-year deal worth $62.2 million, with $52.3 million guaranteed, Schefter and Rapoport reported. The contract carries an average annual value of $31.1 million, which makes the five-time Pro Bowl cornerback the highest-paid defensive back in league history for the second time in his career.
Ward, 29, was not exactly headed into a clean contract year. ESPN reported he still had two seasons left on the five-year, $100 million extension he signed in April 2022, but there was no guaranteed salary remaining on that deal.
How much is Denzel Ward's extension worth?
The new agreement is worth $62.2 million over two years, with $52.3 million guaranteed, according to Schefter and Rapoport. Its $31.1 million average per season is the number that moves Ward to the top among NFL defensive backs.
A defensive back is the umbrella term for cornerbacks and safeties, the players primarily assigned to cover receivers and defend passes. Ward plays cornerback, a premium spot in Cleveland’s defense since the Browns drafted him near the top of the first round.
The deal also keeps a local star in place after a major shake-up on the Browns’ roster. ESPN reported that Ward became Cleveland’s longest-tenured player after the team traded defensive end Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in June.
Ward had already signaled that he wanted to stay with the franchise. ESPN reported he spoke about his commitment to the Browns at his first celebrity softball game, held days after the Garrett trade. General manager Andrew Berry also said he wanted to keep Ward, who grew up in a Cleveland suburb, according to ESPN.
What has Ward done for the Browns?
Cleveland selected Ward with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Across eight seasons, he has recorded 18 interceptions, 104 passes defended and 361 tackles, according to ESPN.
Last season, Ward played in 15 games and finished with 39 tackles and one interception, ESPN reported.
For the Browns, the timing gives the secondary clarity around one of its defining players. For Ward, it means another turn as the NFL’s highest-paid defensive back, four years after his previous extension first put him among the league’s richest players at the position.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.