Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Getty
Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
The Cleveland Browns don’t want to undercut their defense as they attempt to reconstruct the offense under new head coach Todd Monken, but trading five-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward to the Green Bay Packers could be a move in the right direction instead of the wrong one.
Ward has been the best cover cornerback 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.
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.
Denzel Ward’s Production Dropped Off From 2024 to Last Season
Denzel Ward #21 of the Cleveland Browns
GettyCornerback Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns
The proposal for Ward is a little complicated, but Cleveland could probably bring back the Packers’ No. 84 pick in Round 3 if the Browns could get a deal done.
Ward is entering his age-29 campaign in 2026, which will be his ninth NFL season. And while he was a Pro Bowler last year, his advanced metrics dipped significantly season over season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ward’s overall player grade ranked him 70th out of 114 cornerbacks who saw enough snaps to qualify last season. He was rated 44th the year prior.
It is worth nothing that PFF’s grading system does not entirely/accurately account for the differences in snap counts and difficulty of assignments when figuring positional grades. It should also be noted that Ward earned Pro Bowl honors in each of the past two campaigns.
Still, based on what the Browns ask of Ward game in and game out — which is a significant amount — he carried his workload less effectively in 2025 than he did the year prior.
Denzel Ward Has Trade Value, but Only to NFL Teams With Highly Specific Needs
Cleveland Browns
GettyCleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward.
Cleveland can save more than $17.4 million against the salary cap by trading Ward with a post-June 1 designation. However, the market may not be all that strong given that the Browns’ salary cap savings represent the exact cost of Ward in 2026 to any team that might trade for him.
Thus an organization like the Packers, which can contend viably next season and needs a meaningful CB upgrade, is the only sort of trade suitor that makes sense.
A team like Green Bay could also potentially restructure Ward’s deal to cut some salary, or even work out an extension to add a year to the deal and bring down the annual average cost via converting some of his base salary into a bonus.
Ward produced 39 total tackles, including two tackles for loss, nine pass breakups and one interception in 15 games played last season.