With star defensive end Myles Garrett traded away from Cleveland, cornerback Denzel Ward became the longest-tenured player on the Browns, and he has no plans to change that.
“I definitely still want to be here,” Ward said Saturday at his inaugural celebrity softball game in Eastlake, Ohio, according to ESPN. “Myles is a good friend of mine, a great teammate, but things aren’t lost. It’s Ohio against the world. So people could doubt us, but we’re going out there still trying to play our best ball and bring wins to the city.”
Garrett was traded to the Rams Monday in a blockbuster trade that sent the five-time All-Pro to Los Angeles in exchange for two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
The Browns’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Garrett broke the NFL’s single-season sacks record last season with 23. The two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time Pro Bowler has 412 tackles, 149 tackles for loss and 125.5 sacks over nine seasons. That sack total is tied for 20th in official NFL history (since 1982) and third amongst active players behind Von Miller (138.5) and Cameron Jordan (132).
“Crazy trade, definitely a crazy trade,” Ward said Saturday. “I believe that either you’re with us or against us, and as you see, he’s not with us. Crazy trade, but hey, that’s the nature of this game.”
Ward has two years left on a 5-year, $100.5 million contract extension signed in 2022, though it includes no further guaranteed money.
When asked Tuesday whether the Browns had received any reaction from Ward regarding the Garrett trade, Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry told ESPN it was “most appropriate for Denzel to speak for himself” but that the Browns had no plans to make Ward available for a trade.
“(Ward is) a big part of the team, and we like him a lot,” Berry said Tuesday. “He’s still playing at a really high level. That doesn’t change with this transaction.”
For his part, Ward said he understands the possibility of a trade is always there.
“I could get traded, but I don’t look too much into that stuff,” said Ward, per ESPN. “It’s the nature of the game. Say I do get traded, for me, wherever I’m at that’s where I’m supposed to be. So if I’m here, I’m supposed to be here. If I go to a different team, that’s where I’m supposed to be.
“But I love playing for the Cleveland Browns. I want to be here. I’m grateful wherever I’m at, whatever opportunity I get to go play football, that’s what I do.”
Ward, 29, was the fourth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Ohio State product has 361 career tackles, 18 interceptions — including two returned for touchdowns — 104 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries in 110 games (107 starts). Two of those recovered fumbles turned into touchdowns.
