Money is tight for the Cleveland Browns this offseason. That's why general manager Andrew Berry is trying to get creative when it comes to creating some much-needed cap space.
For his latest trick, Berry negotiated a revised contract with starting right tackle Jack Conklin. The new deal essentially removes a year off of his previous contract, which was slated to run through the 2026 campaign, gives him $10 million for the upcoming season and includes $2 million that can be earned in incentives.
Before the revised deal, Conklin was slated to be on the books for about $17.7 million. Now he'll cut that figure down by at least two million, depending on the type of incentives the Browns agreed to.
By removing a year of Conklin's deal, that means the 30-year-old is also now slated to be a free agent following next season.
Conklin has overcome serious knee injuries twice during his five seasons in Cleveland. Back in November of 2021 the Michigan State product suffered a torn Patellar tendon and was placed on the injured reserve, ending his season.
He returned the following season and earned a four-year extension from Berry and company after returning to his reliable form. Unfortunately, disaster struck again for Conklin in Week 1 of the 2023 season as he was carted off after tearing both his ACL and MCL.
Conklin spent more than a year recovering from the ailments and subsequent surgery to repair them. He was poised to make a long-awaited return to the field in Week 4 of last year before a hamstring issue kept him out of action for an additional two weeks.
He finally made his 2024 debut in Week 6 and went on to have a productive season in his usual right tackle spot. Conklin ranked 44th among NFL tackles, according to PFF last season.