The Cleveland Browns‘ top brass is still busy after the Myles Garrett trade. The player in focus now is veteran cornerback Denzel Ward, who missed OTAs and the minicamp this year. He is still signed on for the next two seasons, but Ward might be interested in other opportunities. Veteran Cleveland reporter Mary Kay Cabot believed that it’s important for the Browns to show how much they value him.

“I think that he deserves a raise now that he has fallen down to ninth,” Cabot said on the Orange and Brown Talk. “And if that’s something that he wants and they want to keep him happy, especially in the wake of the Myles Garrett trade, that could be a place where you throw a little bit of money and show him how much you appreciate him.”

The $100.5 million-worth extension Ward signed in 2022 made him the highest-paid cornerback in the league. But with an inflated market, he has fallen to ninth place.

An extension would likely keep him at Berea until 32 or 33, considering he is 29 now. But his injury also poses a major problem. He has suffered multiple concussions, hamstring injuries, and knee injuries since 2018. Cleveland also has only $16 million in cap space, which means that the Browns have to think out of the box if they want to keep Ward.

In his eight-year-long career so far, Ward has earned Pro-Bowl selections. However, now that the CB is approaching his 30s, fans might think that he is now set for a downturn in his career. Ward dropped to 39 total tackles last year from 49 in 2024. But he still wants to be part of his hometown team.

“I definitely still want to be here,” Ward said, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “Myles is a good friend of mine, a great teammate, but things aren’t lost. It’s still Ohio against the world. People can doubt us, but we’re going out there still to try to play our best ball and bring wins to this city.”

Garrett had already expressed his desire to be traded by the Browns, probably having sensed that Cleveland might not be the contender he envisioned. With the star defensive end now part of a championship-level team, Ward could also be hoping for a similar change.

Denzel Ward could be headed to the San Francisco 49ers

Ward is perhaps one of the most important veterans remaining in Cleveland’s defense now that Garrett has departed. However, there could be an opportunity for the CB to seek a spot in a team of similar caliber in the NFC West. Per CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, San Francisco might be able to make some room for Denzel Ward.

“The 49ers are in win-now mode with an aging roster headed by soon-to-be 38-year-old All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, soon-to-be 33-year-old wide receiver Mike Evans, soon-to-be 33-year-old tight end George Kittle and 30-year-old running back Christian McCaffrey,” Podell wrote. “San Francisco can afford the swing for Ward in 2026 as the 49ers currently possess the most cap space in football with $71.7 million, and then they can easily move off him if they desire in 2027 while saving $11.271 million by releasing him. Or with no guaranteed money on his deal, the 49ers can easily rework Ward’s contract to keep him around should they so choose.”

The 49ers’ cornerback room does not have the power to match up against receivers like Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Davante Adams. Their leading cornerback last year was Upton Stout, who recorded 82 tackles. Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green follow next, with 61 and 60 tackles, respectively. But with Ward in the team, San Francisco will have a top veteran presence in the CB room.

Denzel Ward will also get to play with a proven contender and show his skills on a better stage. Can the Cleveland Browns do enough to keep the talent on their roster? We will have to wait and watch.