There was some surprise when the Cleveland Browns gave Denzel Ward a lucrative contract extension at the start of training camp. After trade rumors involving the cornerback throughout the offseason, it was thought the Browns might have been comfortable moving on from him as part of their rebuilding process.
Instead, he re-signed for two years and $62.2 million, which reestablished him as the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, at least for a couple of days. So far this season, Ward has proven to be worth every penny.
Entering Cleveland’s Week 3 game against the Carolina Panthers, Ward faces an intriguing challenge, as he will have to go up against top wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
“Fresh off a monster extension, Ward has been elite for the Browns. The Pro Bowl corner has compiled the second-highest PFF coverage grade (91.5) at the position, permitting just 16 yards over 69 coverage snaps. Even with a new defensive coordinator, the Browns have maintained their penchant for man coverage, running the look on a league-leading 44.3% of coverage snaps. That could prove tough for McMillan, whose 61.8 PFF receiving grade against man looks is 18th out of 26 qualifying wideouts,” Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus wrote.
Ward is ranked behind only Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie, who has a 93.0 coverage grade from PFF. As for McMillan, last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year has started his second campaign with 10 receptions on 18 targets for 176 yards.
Ward is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl season, and fifth overall, which not only made him valuable to the Browns but also attractive around the league. The thinking was that Cleveland could trade him for draft picks, because at 29 years old, he may be starting to decline when the rest of his younger teammates are peaking.
Instead, the organization decided to use his veteran leadership and still excellent level of play to anchor a secondary that is arguably the best unit on defense, after pass rusher Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in June. Now secured through the 2029 season, Ward and Tyson Campbell, a trade acquisition last season who is signed through 2028, give the Browns a dynamic cornerback tandem and a position they don’t have to worry about for a few years.
A first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Ward posted at least two interceptions in his first seven seasons before getting one last year, and he led the NFL in passes defended in 2024. He already has 10 tackles so far this season, which would shatter his career high if that pace continues.
Sometimes, when you find a great player, it is better to hang on to him than to let him go, and the Browns are being rewarded for that decision about Ward.
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