Denzel Ward reveals what the Browns are trying to do after Joe Flacco trade

With the way the Browns season has gone, Denzel Ward commented on the current status of the team, sharing promising words for what they expect going forward.

Oct 5, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) is unable to make a catch against Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during the third quarter of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After quite a whirlwind week, the Cleveland Browns currently sit with a record of 1-4 as Week 6 of the NFL season kicks off on Thursday night.

The Browns have been the subject of many conversations over the course of the past few weeks, with their most recent headline making waves mid-day on Tuesday with a surprising inner-division trade with their in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals.

Cleveland decided to part ways with their veteran backup quarterback Joe Flacco, which paved the road for their rookies to make more of an immediate impact sooner rather than later. This move has raised questions in various aspects, with the most important being whether the Browns are ready to focus more on next season, which would ultimately put an end to any conversations of winning this season.

That conversation seems to hold very little merit, as Browns star cornerback Denzel Ward commented on the trade of Flacco in response to how their season outlook stands.

“That’s what this team is about”, “We’re trying to win and bring one to the city and the organization…we’re close”, Denzel Ward said in his press conference on Wednesday.

#Browns Denzel Ward said the organization is still 100% committed to winning after the Joe Flacco trade: pic.twitter.com/McQHAM501P

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 8, 2025

Ward has been a part of the Browns organization for eight years now, which has featured a pair of winning seasons that’s given players a taste of what winning means to the city of Cleveland and their fans starved of victory.

With Ward’s comments on where the team stands after their surprising trade, it might seem difficult to buy into his promising comments that the team still wants to win.

Cleveland’s defense has been stellar this season most of the way, ranking second in the league in yards allowed per game, but surrendering 24.6 points per game, which is 21st in the league overall.

Ward happened to be involved in the game-winning touchdown for Minnesota this past Sunday after giving up a go-ahead touchdown to Vikings receiver Jordan Addison with 25 seconds left in the game, in which he took full responsibility for.

His focus this week has shifted back to playing his brand of football along with a stout secondary Cleveland brings, and to prevent any sort of lead change down the stretch, which the Browns led a majority of the game this past week.

“That’s all we preach about in these meetings and why we're here is to find a way to win”, “that’s still the 100% goal," Ward said.

The Browns have a lot of work to do this week as they prepare for their road trip to Pittsburgh this weekend, a game that will require a great defensive outing from Cleveland’s defense if they hope to find a way to win against a 3-1 Steelers team.