Browns CB Denzel Ward Makes Call on Retirement After Latest Head Trauma

Cleveland Browns star cornerback Denzel Ward has now suffered five confirmed concussions, but he has no plans to walk away from the game of football.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported on Friday, August 23, that Ward will carry on with his career, adding that the six-year veteran and three-time Pro Bowler never considered hanging up his cleats due to his injuries.

“Ward plans to continue his NFL career … and if all goes as hoped, he’ll be cleared in time for the opener [September] 8 against the [Dallas] Cowboys,” Cabot wrote. “In fact, his return to the field was never in question.”

Denzel Ward’s Potential Retirement Has Been Topic of Discussion Before

Some in the media began questioning whether Ward should consider retirement after sustaining his fourth concussion late in training camp last summer.

“Ward has a long injury history, missing time in every season since he joined the Cleveland Browns in 2018,” Jacob Roach of USA Today wrote on September 4, 2023. “Some things are bigger than football, and the Browns should be consulting with Ward about the seriousness of his concussion history. The newest concussion he received in the preseason finale against the [Kansas City] Chiefs is already the fourth of his NFL career.”

The fifth concussion came less than one year later during practice on August 12 while Ward was making a tackle against wide receiver Elijah Moore. Players become more susceptible to concussions the more of them they suffer, which means Ward’s risk is now greater than many of his peers.

Denzel Ward has Options to Keep Him Safer During NFL Games

The league will allow players to wear Guardian Caps — which it has already mandated for use among certain position groups during training camp over the past two years — atop their helmets during official games for the first time in 2024.

But the bulky headwear, while touted by the NFL as aiding an offseason reduction in concussions among those who wear it, represents a change in both feel and style that may leave some players less likely to opt for a Guardian Cap despite its potential safety benefits.

“It’s just something getting used to. It’s just something new,” Ward said during training camp in late July, adding that he was not considering wearing a Guardian Cap in-game at that time.”And I know I got a few concussions, but I don’t go out there thinking about the concussions. I did a lot of research over the season and the offseason on concussions and just how to treat them and stuff like that. So yeah, I’m not too concerned about it going out there.”

Ward, 27 years old, has tallied 273 tackles, 76 pass breakups, 15 INTs, 3 forced fumbles and 4 defensive TDs over the last six years, per Pro Football Reference. He contributed a Pro Bowl effort last season to the league’s No. 1 rated defense based on yardage surrendered per game.

In April 2022, Ward signed a five-year contract extension worth $100.5 million that runs through the 2027 campaign.