The Cleveland Browns’ front office took care of its two most pressing contract situations right at the start of training camp, re-upping defensive backs Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit with new multi-year extensions.
Not every player gets the luxury of a sizable payday at the start of the season, though. Especially for those playing on expiring rookie contracts — and the Browns have several in that boat — a contract year can make or break a player’s future entering the prime years of his career.
When it comes to Cleveland’s short list of young players poised for a 2026 breakout, Isaiah McGuire’s contract year jumps off the page.
The fourth-year edge defender could be poised for the largest snap share of his career after the team traded Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. The Browns also added little competition to the roster for McGuire, who’s been locked in as their No. 3 edge behind Jared Verse and Alex Wright.
Wright landed a three-year extension during the 2025 season, and McGuire could push for his own this year, as he’s been making his presence felt during the early stages of training camp.
Per Browns writer Brian D'Aguanno, McGuire was impossible to miss during Monday’s practice while dominating a phase of the game that should catch head coach Todd Monken’s attention — stopping the run.
“McGuire penetrated the backfield from the edge to blow up a run play for a likely tackle for loss during the fourth 11-on-11 period of practice. Within a couple plays, McGuire was in the backfield to shut down another run. In the 11-on-11 red zone period, McGuire made a similar play to stuff another Sanders designed run play towards the middle of the field.”
The Browns may have a breakout defender nobody's talking about
McGuire has definitely flown under the radar this summer. He was Cleveland’s fourth-round draft pick in 2023 and is set to earn about $3.6 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Similar to draftmates Cedric Tillman and Dawand Jones, a proven performance escalator triggered in McGuire’s contract, essentially tripling his 2026 base salary; he was originally scheduled to earn $1.145 million this year.
But unlike both Tillman and Jones, McGuire’s roster spot and role on the team is solidified. The Browns restructured Jones’ contract, lowering his 2026 number back down to a fully-guaranteed $1.1 million. They haven’t yet touched Tillman’s deal, but the former third-round pick is currently buried on the depth chart and projects as a cut or trade candidate at this point.
McGuire’s salary will be well-earned, as the team has explored adding veteran pass rushers like A.J. Epenesa and Jadeveon Clowney but have yet to make an official signing. McGuire's prowess as a true edge-setter and run defender is nothing new, as he has posted 17 run-stuffs in back-to-back seasons in part-time roles, per Pro Football Focus. The 25-year-old earned run defense grades from PFF of 73.5 and 83.3 in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Cleveland will be looking to see McGuire take the next step as a pass rusher, as he only has 5.5 career sacks over three seasons. There should be more opportunities to make plays than ever this year as the team works together to fill the massive production void left by Garrett.
With a shortage of young talent in the pipeline, McGuire could drive his value up considerably in 2026 with a breakout season that already appears to be priming.
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