Browns’ $100.5 million defender could be next star to be traded originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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There was a time when it was very rare to see big NFL trades. The NFL trade deadline used to have one or two small moves tops, but now, it’s almost becoming just as exciting as the other major league deadlines.
Just in the last six months, we’ve seen stars like A.J. Brown, Myles Garrett, Dexter Lawrence, and others get traded. Players are more willing than ever to ask out if they aren’t happy and teams are usually willing to oblige those requests to free up money and add assets.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently identified the next batch of stars who could ask for trades. For fans of the Cleveland Browns, unfortunately, I’m about to give you some more bad news.
Browns could be forced to trade Denzel Ward
Ward has been with the Browns since being selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Ward was born in Ohio, played high school in Ohio, played college in Ohio, and has spent his entire NFL career so far in Ohio.
As a result, it wouldn’t be weird to learn that Ward prefers to remain with the Browns. However, we also have to be realistic- the Browns’ recent trade of Myles Garrett clearly shows the team isn’t planning on competing immediately, and Ward has already endured a lot of losing.
Davenport offered the following:
Ward is an elite player at a premium position who was recently named the league’s seventh-best cornerback in a poll of NFL executives at ESPN. But at 29, his prime seasons are limited. If the Browns take several years to get back into true contention, there’s a real chance he will be nearing the latter stages of his prime by the time they are ready to make a serious run.
As the Browns move through another difficult season, Ward may well decide Garrett was on the right track in believing that a better future lay with a team that wins more consistently.
As Davenport mentioned, Ward is already 29, and his prime years are limited. As a result, the Browns may try to get what they can before his value falls, and Ward probably wants to commit while he’s still elite.
In 2025, Ward played in 15 games for the Browns and collected 39 tackles, nine pass deflections, and one interception. Pro Football Focus gave the corner a 59.2 overall grade, but as Davenport mentioned, those in the league still consider Ward a top corner.
The veteran has earned five Pro Bowl selections in his career, has 18 career interceptions, and led the league in pass breakups as recently as 2024. If the Browns made him available right now, he’d immediately be one of the most in-demand players in the league.
The Browns also don’t have to make a decision right now. Ward is under contract through the 2027 season, so they could decide to revisit a possible trade next offseason. Although, at that point, Ward would be another year older, and if he has a down season in 2026, his value would be much lower than it is now.
