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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Cleveland Browns traded star edge rusher Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, to the Los Angeles Rams at the beginning of the month.
In return, the Browns got Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder, and a 2029 third-round pick. With Cleveland building for the future and LA in win-now mode, the move made perfect sense for both sides.
But now, the organization is scrambling to keep another franchise pillar, Denzel Ward.
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According to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, GM Andrew Berry said that he wants to keep Ward, who has also expressed his own interest in staying in Cleveland.
That mutual interest sounds great on paper. But Ward still has two years left on a five-year, $100.5 million extension he signed in 2022, with no more guaranteed remaining on the deal. And he just skipped the team's voluntary OTAs and reportedly didn't participate in the mandatory minicamp.
Head coach Todd Monken refused to comment on the situation, but it's widely speculated that Ward's looking for additional guaranteed money.
Even amid the tension, Oyefusi feels confident that a new deal "could be on the horizon."
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Ward is a Macedonia, Ohio, native, a five-time Pro Bowler, and has spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Browns. In 2025, he recorded 39 tackles, two tackles for loss, nine pass breakups, and one interception across 15 games.
After watching Garrett get traded, it's clear that Ward doesn't want to suit up and play out a deal that leaves him financially exposed, especially playing for a franchise that clearly has its eye set on the future.
While nobody sees the Browns as a contender in 2026, Ward is the team's best cover corner and, having just turned 29 in April, is still in the prime of his career.
An extension could arrive in the coming weeks, with Ward potentially showing up once training camp kicks off at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on July 23.
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