Where Do the Browns’ New Contracts Rank Among the Highest Paid at Each Position?

The Cleveland Browns have kept busy after a slow start during the NFL’s legal tampering window.

So far, they’ve signed or re-signed five players, in addition to tendering restricted free agent safety Ronnie Hickman, and extending the contract of offensive tackle Tytus Howard after acquiring him via trade.

In order to fit the new deals under Cleveland’s cap, the club reworked quarterback Deshaun Watson's contract once again, pushing close to 36 million to a future cap charge while opening up some space to maneuver.

Cleveland has now committed well over $150 million in new money for these seven players, although not all financial details have been revealed yet. Since you sometimes do get what you pay for, let’s take a look at where each new contract ranks these players among their position group in terms of average annual compensation and guarantees:

Note: Numbers will get updated as more information becomes available.

Tytus Howard, tackle

Total contract: two-years, $45 million

Guarantees: N/A

Howard came over from Houston via a trade with Houston, with Cleveland paying a fifth-round draft pick for the tackle. He immediately received a two-year extension that tacks on to the last year of his previous deal. Although his extension is set to cover the 2027 and 2028 seasons, the 22.5 million per year average ranks him eleventh in the NFL right now, tied with Falcons’ Jake Matthews and Bucs’ Luke Goedeke. If you count his 2026 salary for average annual purposes, his number actually goes down, as he’s set to receive a little under $18 million for next season.

Zion Johnson, guard

Total contract: three years, $49.5 million

Average per year: $16.5 million

Guarantees: $32.4 million

Johnson’s deal came surprisingly fast once the legal tampering period opened, signaling just how much of a priority the offensive line is for Cleveland. His 16.5 per year average places him 13th in the NFL among guards, while his 32.4 million in guarantees is the ninth highest total in the league. While he’s never shown elite level, he has displayed exceptional durability and flexibility by playing on both sides after being selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Elgton Jenkins, center/guard

Total contract: two years: $24 million

Average per year: $12 million

Guarantees: $20 million

With Tyler Linderbaum signing a monster deal to move from the Ravens to the Raiders, the Browns were left to pivot to a plan-B, finding one almost immediately after the Packers cut Jenkins. While he’s played left guard for the most part of his career, his experience at tackle and center makes this a very valuable addition for the Browns. Among centers, the position he played in 2025, Jenkins ranks fifth in average yearly compensation, while his 20 million in guarantees has him placed tied for seventh with Tyler Biadasz.

Teven Jenkins, guard

Total contract: N/A

Average per year: N/A

Guarantees: N/A

Browns have re-signed free-agent G Teven Jenkins, who played in all 17 games of last season, starting four at right guard.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2026

Details surrounding Jenkins’ -- no relation to Elgton -- new deal in Cleveland haven’t been released yet, but his previous contract with the club was a one year affair for 3.05 million, so the new number should be in this range, with a raise. Another offensive lineman with good flexibility, he took over as the team’s right guard last season for four of the last five games, but also received a handful of snaps at both tackle positions and left guard.

Quincy Williams, linebacker

Total contract: two year, $17 million

Average per year: $8.5 million

Guarantees: N/A

The Browns were unable to retain breakout star Devin Bush Jr., who emigrated to Chicago, but found a potential replacement in Williams, who has lengthy experience playing under Cleveland’s new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg. Williams, a first-team All-Pro in 2023 for the Jets, is nowhere near the top-end of the linebacker market, ranking 33rd in the NFL in average annual compensation. The 29-year old will be a steal if he can recapture his old form.

Jack Stoll, tight end

Total contract: one year, N/A

Average per year: N/A

Guarantees: N/A

The Browns have agreed to terms with tight end Jack Stoll on a one-year deal, per source.

Cleveland was looking for additional tight end help, gets it in the veteran Stoll.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 11, 2026

Cleveland isn’t betting on Stoll completely compensating for the loss of David Njoku, but he’ll have the chance to prove himself alongside last year’s rookie sensation Harold Fannin Jr. Stoll’s financial details regarding his one-year deal with the Browns haven’t been revealed yet, but expect something pretty close to the league minimum of a little over 1.2 million per season. That’s pretty much in line with what he’s made over the last couple of years through one-year contracts.

Ronnie Hickman, safety

Total contract: one-year second-round tender, $5.8 million

Average per year: $5.8 million

Guarantees: $5.8 million

As a restricted free agent, if Hickman plays under the tender offered by the Browns he’ll have a one-year guaranteed deal for $5.8 million. Though that number represents a significant raise to his original three-year $2.7 million contract as an undrafted free agent, he’s still pretty far from the top-of-the-market contracts at the safety position. He ranks 35th in the NFL in terms of yearly compensation, which is a steal for an NFL-caliber starter at any position.