Denzel Ward
Getty
CB Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns.
The Green Bay Packers could use a true No. 1 cornerback to fortify a struggling position group, while the Cleveland Browns could use some cap relief and all the draft picks they can get amid an offensive rebuild — thus a trade for five-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward could prove the answer.
Ward has been the best cover corner on Browns’ defenses that finished No. 1 and No. 4 overall in 2023 and 2025, respectively. That said, his salary cap hit in 2026 — the fourth season of Ward’s five-year, $100.5 million contract — renders him a player potentially worth moving in Cleveland.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report on Friday, March 27 dubbed quarterback Deshaun Watson the most overpaid player on the Browns’ roster, but felt compelled to mention Ward as the clear silver medalist.
“The 12th-highest-paid player in football has thrown 19 touchdown passes since the end of the 2020 season. Enough said,” Gagnon wrote. “Since this is such an obvious pick, we’ll also mention declining cornerback Denzel Ward and his ridiculous $30.9 million 2026 cap hit.”
Green Bay wouldn’t want to pay that amount for Ward either, who is under contract through 2027. However, the Packers would only be on the hook for Ward’s $16.9 million base salary and a roster bonus a little north of $500,000.
A total of $17.4 million is still a lot for Green Bay to take on, even despite $22-plus million in current salary cap space.
But the Packers could potentially work out an agreement to restructure Ward’s contract, or even extend him, add a year onto the backend of his deal, bring the annual average salary way down and reduce his cap hit in 2026 by converting some of his base salary into a bonus.
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Browns cornerback Denzel Ward is questionable for Week 11.
GettyCleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward
The proposal for Ward is a little complicated, and it would probably cost the Packers something like their No. 84 pick in Round 3.
That said, a move to trade for Ward, or acquire a cornerback like him, could be on the menu for general manager Brian Gutekunst and company. The Packers have some meaningful questions across the roster, especially with regards to the offensive line and its lack of depth, but they also have legitimate division title and Super Bowl aspirations.
Green Bay just made the playoffs for the third consecutive season with Jordan Love as the starting quarterback and held an 18-point halftime lead over the Chicago Bears during the Wildcard Round in January prior to a second-half collapse.
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Jordan Love quarterback Green Bay Packers
GettyQuarterback Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers.
Another cornerback, help on the offensive line and some more bodies in the defensive tackle room are all improvements the Packers should, and probably will, endeavor to make in the coming months.
Adding Ward would obviously address one of those concerns. And even before dealing with any of their roster issues, the Packers slotted in as No. 5 in Pro Football Focus’s post-free agency power rankings heading into 2026.
“Even amid the slew of roster changes, the Packers still maintain elite talent on both sides of the ball,” Mason Cameron of PFF wrote March 18. “After posting the fourth-highest PFF overall grade among quarterbacks last season, Jordan Love gives Green Bay an exceptionally high floor on offense. Edge defender Micah Parsons also gives the defense a dominant force to shoulder the load.”