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Denzel Ward #21 of the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns and veteran defensive back Denzel Ward have been together for a solid eight years now, ever since the team drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2018 out of Ohio State. It was a good use of a Top Five pick, as Ward has been a five-time Pro Bowler, as well as a level head and a reliable leader on a team that has needed both over the course of the franchise’s frequent ups and downs (emphasis on downs).
Ward does not get the headlines that Myles Garrett up front gets, and does not get the trash-talking attention that fellow defensive back Grant Delpit warrants. But he faces the music with reporters week after week, and is a strong voice in the locker room. And he has talent–Ward has 18 interceptions in his career, and allows a passer rating of just 75.3.
Yet this week, in an article titled, “nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-free-agency-tua-tagovailoa-geno-smith-among-notable-afc-cut-candidates” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>2026 NFL free agency: Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith among notable AFC cut candidates,” the folks at NFL.com pegged Ward as a potential candidate to be cut in the coming weeks.
‘Denzel Ward Is a Phenomenal Player’
And that’s understandable if Ward’s contract were more straight forward, except it also is nearly impossible, says veteran Browns beat writer Zac Jackson of The Athletic. The Browns have tinkered with restructures on Ward’s contract to the point that cutting him now would leave a dead cap hit of $30 million on the team’s books, meaning they would lose the player and his leadership, without actually saving any money.
Speaking on “The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show,” Jackson pointed out the impossibility of cutting Ward. They’d be more likely to trade him, but even that would not bring back enough value.
“You do know (the Browns would not trade Ward) because it is just not cap-compliant,” Jackson said, shutting down the NFL.com speculation. “Denzel Ward is a phenomenal player, Denzel Ward is the kind of guy they want and need representing the organization in and out of the locker room, and they’ve accelerated his contract twice. So, they couldn’t really even afford to trade him, in which case he would bring back return for a team that’s on the rise. Denzel’s nine years into his career now. Why would they consider cutting him?”
Browns Still Have Too Much Cash Committed to Denzel Ward to Cut Him
If there was some significant savings to come out of the Browns cutting ties with Ward, maybe there would be some justification for doing so. The Browns would seem to be willing to cut financial commitments defensively to improve a moribund offense. But not with Ward.
Explained Jackson: “What this person did is took a look at the salary and saw that, technically, Denzel Ward’s salary is zero dollars. But the Browns’ cap commitments, because of money they’ve accelerated, are huge. So, it would be—to even trade Denzel, they would take a more than $10 million dead cap hit. They don’t want to trade Denzel, they’re in no position to trade Denzel. So, why would they cut Denzel?”
Browns Need as Many ‘Cornerstones’ as They Can Get
Furthermore, it was pointed out that, on a 53-man roster, the Browns have very few “cornerstone” players. Ward, though, is one of a handful. However the Browns restructure the roster in 2026, they’ll do so with Ward in place.
“Denzel is a cornerstone piece,” Jackson said. “And there aren’t many of them. If you think last year’s four rookies are, you’ve got Myles, you’ve got Denzel, you’ve got Delpit. Like, where—does the list even get to 10?”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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