Grant Delpit, Browns Agree to New Contract After Historic Denzel Ward Deal, Updated NFL Salary Cap

The Cleveland Browns have locked in two key pieces of their defense for the long term.

The Browns are signing safety Grant Delpit to a three-year, $48 million contract including $35 million in guaranteed money, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday.

Delpit was practicing in individual drills as part of a contract hold-in yesterday before the Browns finalized his extension.

ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi shared a video of Berry coming out onto the field to share the news with Delpit.

Delpit appeared in all 17 games while taking 96 percent of the Browns' defensive snaps last season.

He recorded three sacks, 89 tackles (four tackles for loss) and seven quarterback hits to go alongside four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and an interception.

His extension comes after Ward reportedly signed a two-year, $62.2 million contract set to make him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL.

The Browns currently rank 17th in the NFL with about $16 million in cap space heading into the 2026 season, per Over the Cap.

Delpit's new contract is set to kick in ahead of the 2027 campaign. Over the Cap estimated before Delpit's signing the Browns ranked 16th with about $11.7 million in projected 2027 cap space.

Finalizing a new deal for Delpit ended his hold-in while potentially saving future money for the Browns. Teams can reduce costs by extending players before their contracts void (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap).

Delpit had void years through 2030 on his previous contract before the Browns extended him through 2029.

Ward was similarly signed prior to his extension to a deal that ran through through 2027 with void years through 2030, according to Over the Cap.

What exactly the Browns' cap situation looks like over the next few seasons will depend on how Ward and Delpit's contracts are structured.

Ward and Delpit were drafted by the Browns in 2018 and 2021, respectively. They are the longest-tenured players in Cleveland following the trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, per Schefter.

The defensive duo will now join a host of players on rookie contracts, including offensive tackle Spencer Fano and wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, as part of the core signed by the Browns through at least 2029.