From the moment the Cleveland Browns traded star edge-rusher Myles Garrett, there were rumblings that the veteran purge would continue—and Denzel Ward’s name came up a lot.
For his part, Ward told reporters after Garrett was traded that he had no desire to be dealt—but he also said that if it were to happen, so be it:
“I could get traded, but I don’t look too much into that stuff. 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’s feelings about getting dealt could change, though, because extended losing tends to wear on a player. The Browns appear headed for a difficult 2026, and a prolonged rebuild into 2027 would test the patience of any veteran who’s used to winning.
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.