Quincy Williams’ full contract details prove Browns were right on Devin Bush

Outside of their group of aging offensive linemen on expiring contracts, the Cleveland Browns didn’t enter the 2026 offseason with many high-profile pending unrestricted free agents. The top player on their list was undeniably linebacker Devin Bush, who at the age of 27 had a career year playing alongside Carson Schwesinger and was due for a hefty pay raise.

Aside from safety Ronnie Hickman, who was never really a flight risk as a restricted free agent, the majority of Cleveland’s defense was already under team control through at least 2026, with bigger conversations looming on guys like safety Grant Delpit and defensive tackle Maliek Collins entering contract years.

Bush was the clear priority to keep in the building, so it was surprising to see him land with the Chicago Bears for a three-year, $30 million contract. Bush’s $10 million per year average fell in line with expectations, after he balled out in 2025 with 125 tackles (a career high), two sacks, two forced fumbles, three interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns.

The Browns quickly pivoted to Quincy Williams, who has experience with new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg from their time together with the New York Jets, when Rutenberg served as linebackers coach under then-head coach Robert Saleh.

If Williams winds up being the fit that Browns fans hope he is, he’ll be a major steal based on his full contract details that were announced this week.

Quincy Williams could be the Browns’ most underrated signing of 2026

Per NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, Williams’ two-year, $17 million deal with Cleveland includes only $9 million in fully guaranteed salary. General manager Andrew Berry also added four void years to the contract, lowering Williams' 2026 cap hit to just $2.6 million, per Spotrac. He’ll carry a $3.7 million cap hit in 2027 and a dead-cap charge of $2.8 million in 2028, if he plays out the balance of his contract and leaves as a free agent.

The logic from Cleveland’s side is clear as day when comparing Williams’ two-year deal to Bush’s contract with Chicago. While Bush signed for three years, the Bears can exit the pact in 2028 for a dead-cap charge of $3.8 million.

The biggest differences are the real cash payouts and salary cap commitments. Williams will essentially take home $6.5 million per year in real cash, or $13 million total, if he remains on the roster through 2027. Bush will earn $13 million in cash in Year 1 alone, and another $9 million next year. Bush has $21 million in fully guaranteed money in his contract, and while his 2026 cap hit stands at $5.6 million, it balloons to $12.6 million in 2027.

The Browns are essentially getting Williams for half the price of Bush, with very minimal impact to their tight salary cap situation. The caveat is that Williams is two years older, now entering his age-30 season, and is coming off a down year by his standards. He had 83 total tackles in 13 games in 2025, which broke a string of four consecutive 100-plus tackle seasons — all under the Saleh-Rutenberg regime.

Cleveland will certainly miss Bush’s playmaking ability and sound work in pass coverage. Williams has been hit or miss in that department, with only one career interception in seven pro seasons.

But when Williams gets rolling, he’s still as good as any sidekick linebacker in the NFL. Based on the price tag, this looks like a decision that could quickly age well for the Browns’ front office.