The Cleveland Browns were approaching a crossroads with safety Grant Delpit this offseason. The veteran could become a free agent after the 2026 season, and there were thoughts that the team would be better off trading him to make sure they didn’t lose him for nothing.
It also may have been thought that Delpit would have preferred a fresh start elsewhere, based on the direction of the franchise. Instead, the sides agreed to continue their relationship well into the future.
As training camp opened, Delpit received a three-year, $48 million contract. It includes $35 million in guaranteed money and runs through the 2029 season.
Browns assistant coach Ephraim Banda recently had high praise for Delpit, with the defensive pass game coordinator saying the defensive back is fully dedicated to the team.
“It definitely is nice that [Grant’s] ready to go. He’s worked really hard in the offseason. You could tell he came in in shape. Came in mentally ready. As a coach, I definitely sleep better at night knowing that he’s gonna be a Cleveland Brown. This man really loves this place. When you talk about Cleveland’s not for everyone, but it is for some, it’s for him. He loves being a Brown. He wants to go down as one of the best, and hopefully one day, his picture sits on one of these rafters. He’s done everything right. He’s done everything I’ve asked. We’ve had ups. We’ve had downs. We’ve done it together. It’s beautiful to see,” Banda said.
#Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda with high, high praise for newly-extended Grant Delpit: pic.twitter.com/IWM5r0MK3y
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 4, 2026
A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Delpit’s career got off to a horrible start as he tore his Achilles tendon in training camp and missed the entire campaign. He made his debut the next season and started seven of his 15 games played.
Since then, he has played 63 of a possible 68 games, starting all but two in the past two seasons. For his career, he has 451 combined tackles, including 111 in the 2024 season, with 25 tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hits, 21 passes defended and seven interceptions.
After the Browns traded two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, it was thought that they would look to part with other veterans as part of their rebuilding process. But in addition to securing Delpit, Cleveland also gave cornerback Denzel Ward a two-year, $62.2 million contract extension, which not only restores his status as the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL but also keeps him on the team through the 2029 season.
With cornerback Tyson Campbell and safety Ronnie Hickman also returning this season, the Browns have maintained a veteran presence in the secondary that will complement the younger players on their elite defense, a talented group that includes linemen Jared Verse and Mason Graham and linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
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