Cleveland Browns Place Pricey Restriction Tender on Free Agent Safety Ronnie Hickman

The Cleveland Browns have made it abundantly clear that they view Ronnie Hickman as a piece of their defense moving forward.

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman (33) is introduced prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns are already starting the process of taking care of their own free agents.

On Friday evening, the Browns planned to place a second-round restricted tender worth $5.8 million on free agent safety Ronnie Hickman, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

It’s a notable restricted free agent tender and proves that the Browns value Hickman as a full-time starter under new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg. The former undrafted free agent out of Ohio State gets a major pay increase to remain with the Browns, who would get a second-round draft pick if a team signs him to a free agent contract that Cleveland doesn’t match.

Hickman made Cleveland’s roster as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Jim Schwartz’s first season as the defensive coordinator. Later that season, Hickman intercepted New York Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian and returned it for a touchdown. The next year, he’d assume the full-time starting free safety role and never looked back.

Last season, Hickman had 107 total tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups.

By placing a second-round tenure on Hickman, the Browns can feel pretty confident that he’s returning next season.

Hickman returning to the Browns for his fourth season will allow him to reunite with veteran strong safety Grant Delpit, who will be entering his sixth season with the team. With this duo in place, it might be unlikely for the Browns to pursue a safety in free agency or Ohio State’s Caleb Downs with the No. 6 overall selection.

Instead, they’ll bank on Rutenberg’s expansive knowledge of defensive secondaries in order to continue Hickman’s development in Cleveland.

What’s next for the Browns in free agency?

The Browns have a few more key defensive players that they’d like to bring back in free agency.

Expect the Browns to prioritize veteran linebacker Devin Bush, who is coming off of back-to-back career best seasons with the Browns.

Cleveland’s defensive line is in pretty good shape as the team already extended Alex Wright to come off of the edge on the opposite side of Myles Garrett. In the secondary, they could explore depth at cornerback, specifically at the nickel position.

Having Hickman back in the fold will help Browns general manager Andrew Berry shift his attention to extending Bush. Externally, the Browns will spend some money to fix their porous offensive line and barren wide receiver room.