CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have started to get creative by restructuring contracts to get under the salary cap for the 2024 NFL season.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday morning that the Browns restructured CB Denzel Ward's contract. According to Pelissero, $11.359 million was cleared in salary cap space following the restructuring.
According to Spotrac, the Browns converted $14.199 million of Ward's base salary into a signing bonus. During the 2023 season, Ward tallied 34 tackles, two interceptions and forced a fumble throughout 13 games.
Previously, in 2022, Ward signed a historic 5-year, $100.5 million contract extension, which made him at the time the highest-paid CB in NFL history.
Recently, the NFL revealed the 2024 salary cap, which is set at $255.4 million, over $30 million more than the previous year.
During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry said that the salary cap change doesn't have a "fundamental impact" in terms of the team's planning.
"I think where the salary cap landed, that was in the range of our projections. I can’t say that we have the number pinpointed. I wouldn’t say that it has a fundamental impact in terms of our planning, but obviously, there are more available dollars across the league, so that could impact markets accordingly as you think about free agency and extension,” said Berry.
MORE CLEVELAND BROWNS COVERAGE:
