Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman.
Getty
Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman.
The Cleveland Browns are trying to make sure safety Ronnie Hickman doesn’t go anywhere.
According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, the Browns have placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on Hickman, paying him $5.8 million for the 2026 season. The move ensures Cleveland retains the right to match any offer sheet Hickman receives from another team — and if the Browns opt not to match, they’d receive a second-round draft pick as compensation.
It’s a significant investment in a player who was once an afterthought as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State in 2023.
Ronnie Hickman Coming Off Breakout Season With Browns
Hickman took a massive leap last season, earning the full-time starting job and ranking third on the team with 103 tackles. He added two interceptions and seven pass breakups while starting all 17 games — a career high across the board.
It was a far cry from his first two seasons, in which he started just nine games combined. Hickman has used his undrafted status as fuel throughout his career.
“Going undrafted, that feeling, it’s not a feeling that you’ll ever really forget,” Hickman said ahead of last season. “Whenever you feel like you’re missing something, just open up that feeling you had when you didn’t get a phone call.”
In 41 career games with the Browns, Hickman has racked up 173 tackles, three interceptions — including a 30-yard pick-six against the Jets in 2023 — and 11 pass breakups. He also played on 99% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps in 2025, along with 145 special teams snaps, making him a valuable piece for the Browns.
Browns Committed to Defensive Continuity Under Mike Rutenberg
The Hickman tender is also a signal that general manager Andrew Berry is prioritizing defensive continuity, even as the organization undergoes significant change. The Browns hired Mike Rutenberg as their new defensive coordinator after Jim Schwartz resigned following the hire of head coach Todd Monken.
Rutenberg, who most recently served as the Atlanta Falcons‘ defensive pass game coordinator, is expected to keep the same attacking scheme that made the Browns’ defense one of the best in the NFL over the last three years. Cleveland finished fourth in total defense last season, allowing just 283.6 yards per game.
Hickman’s ability to pair with Grant Delpit in the secondary will be a key piece of that continuity. Safeties coach Ephraim Banda, who was promoted to pass game coordinator, has worked closely with Hickman since he arrived in Cleveland.
The tender comes on the heels of the Browns tendering six exclusive rights free agents earlier this week, including kicker Andre Szmyt and receiver Malachi Corley. Cleveland still has major roster holes to address on the offensive side of the ball, but locking down a rising defensive standout like Hickman was a necessary first step.
A long-term extension could still be in play down the road if Hickman continues his upward trajectory in 2026. The Browns are heading into a critical stretch on the calendar, with the new league year and free agency opening on March 9, followed by the 2026 NFL Draft in late April.