Now that the Cleveland Browns have settled their situation with defensive star Myles Garrett, there does seem to be a bit of tension that has been relieved around the team. Garrett was the team’s defensive leader, but had stayed away from the team and had limited contact with new coach Todd Monken, leading to an endless round of speculation about whether he was happy. That pressure point is gone now, but that does not mean that all off-field tension has been relieved–there’s still the matter of Grant Delpit.
With Garrett gone, Delpit and Denzel Ward are now the senior voices in the defensive huddle. Ward has been discussed as a trade candidate, and Delpit could be dealt, too, especially with the addition of second-round pick Emmanuel McNeil-Warren to the team’s safety mix. But Delpit is only 27, and even amid a youth movement in Cleveland, dumping him would seem a hasty and unwise move.
However, Delpit is entering the final year of his contract. And it’s become clear he wants a new one.
Grant Delpit’s Contract Set to Expire
Delpit signed a three-year, $36 million extension in 2023, and he has a cap hit of about $8 million still on the books for 2026, with about $16 million pushed ahead into void years, according to Spotrac. The site’s projection tool seems to think that’s an overvalued deal, with his market value on a new contract standing at $8.8 million, and a total deal valued at $35 million over four seasons.
There has been no deal for Delpit, though, and no rumblings of a negotiation. But we did get an indication that he’s not entirely happy with his lost this week, when he attended the team’s mandatory minicamp but did not participate in team drills. Coach Todd Monken would not say whether Delpit was injured.
Browns Facing Grant Delpit Hold-In
But given his relative youth among veteran leaders, the Browns should be looking to lock Delpit in on an extension. The other two primary safeties in the room–McNeil-Warren and Ronnie Hickman–are both locked into bargain contracts, with Hickman eligible to hit free agency after this season, too.
Safeties coach and passing game coordinator Ephraim Banda was asked about Delpit potentially conducting a “hold-in,” in which he would show up for training camp next month but not participate.
He declined to answer straight on: “I stay out of all that stuff, that is above my pay grade. I coach the safeties. I will let other people handle the other things.”
Browns Keeping Up Communication
But Banda did say that Delpit has been in touch with the team frequently and, indeed, he was in attendance at minicamp even if he did not play. It’s pretty clear he is seeking that new deal from the Browns.
Said Banda: “Communication throughout the offseason has been phenomenal, his time in the building has been great, working hard, being present, doing a great job in meetings, and being a veteran leader. He’s the second-longest tenured Brown now, so it’s great to have him around . We’re going on year four together, so it’s been really good to have that. He did a really good job of checking in and staying in communication.”
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