About as soon as the Cleveland Browns completed one of the biggest trades in NFL history last week, sending seven-time All-Pro and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, fans and analysts alike couldn't help but wonder: Who’s next?
GM Andrew Berry and the Browns have clearly embraced a youth movement, buoyed by their 17 combined selections over the past two NFL Drafts. And with Myles Garrett and his $40 million average-per-year salary now off the books, the next Browns veteran on the proverbial chopping block was painfully obvious.
Denzel Ward is not only entering his age-30 season, but his current contract carries a $30.8 million cap hit for 2026, the second-largest on the team behind quarterback Deshaun Watson. According to Over the Cap, Cleveland could save about $17.5 million in additional cap space by trading Ward this summer, or anytime between now and the NFL’s Nov. 4 deadline.
Garrett was clearly eager to bid Cleveland farewell and start chasing Super Bowls in L.A. It’s been fair to wonder if Ward, too, has been coveting a change of scenery.
Speaking at his inaugural celebrity softball game on Saturday, Ward told reporters that he has no desires to leave Northeast Ohio this year.
“Yeah, I definitely still want to be here,” Ward said. “Myles is a good friend of mine, a great teammate — but things aren’t lost. It’s still Ohio against the world. So, people can doubt us, but we’re going out there still trying to play our best ball and bring wins to this city.”
Here for Browns CB Denzel Ward’s inaugural celebrity softball game.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) June 6, 2026
Ward says “I still want to be here” even after Cleveland trading Myles Garrett. pic.twitter.com/eDR46F2kFw
Denzel Ward just gave the Browns every reason to keep him around
Ward’s Ohio roots run deep. He grew up 30 minutes southeast of downtown Cleveland, starred at nearby Ohio State University, and was drafted No. 4 overall by the Browns in 2018.
Garrett didn’t end up being a one-helmet player, but the Browns should make sure that remains in play for Ward.
The Browns’ decision to roll with one of the youngest rosters in the NFL — they currently have 54 players under the age of 25 on their 90-man training camp roster — makes perfect sense given the epic failure of their Watson experiment. It takes guts to trade a future Hall of Fame player for a third-year pro and a package of draft picks that may not end up featuring a top-30 selection. You have to give Berry credit: The man’s been unapologetically bold throughout his Browns tenure.
The key to that plan is insulating the team’s wealth of first- and second-year players with seasoned veterans capable of both setting the tone in the locker room, and locking down a premium position. Even with Garrett now off the team, Cleveland has a number of those players, with Ward at the top of the list.
Ward is the consummate pro and the exact kind of veteran leader the team should be looking to keep happy and well-paid. He’s still one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and he could help the Browns’ offensive rookies like KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in training camp as much as he could for safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
Todd Monken won’t be able to command the Browns’ locker room on his own. He’s going to need an internal leadership council of some sort. After never really getting the chance to connect with Garrett over his first four months on the job, Ward could quickly become Monken's most important ally in helping establish the culture he wants inside the locker room.
Berry passed on executing a full contract restructure for Ward this season, instead converting a $2.5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus to save some minimal cap space. The move put some extra cash in Ward’s pocket ahead of the season, and while the continued speculation is understandable, the Browns should be looking to continue with Ward into Week 1 of 2026 and beyond.
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