The Browns have signed Maliek Collins to a two-year contract extension worth $30 million, with $23 million guaranteed, the team announced Saturday. The deal runs through 2028 and secures one of the interior pieces the club wanted to keep long term.
Extension specifics and timeline
The agreement is a two-year extension that carries $23 million in total guarantees. The team confirmed the length of the deal extends Collins through the 2028 season and framed the move as part of a plan to maintain and bolster the defensive front.
The financial structure — $30 million over two years with $23 million guaranteed — reflects a significant investment in Collins' role on the roster and gives the Browns salary-cap certainty at an important position group.
How Collins fits into a suddenly productive defense
Cleveland reported that, with Collins in the fold, the Browns rank second in the NFL with 19 sacks heading into Sunday’s game against the Titans. That team success factored into the decision to extend Collins, with the front office emphasizing continuity up front.
The Browns have navigated substantial turnover along the edge and in their pass rush. Cleveland noted the team traded Garrett to the Rams for Jared Verse, and as of this weekend Verse has yet to record a sack. The club has also dealt with injuries to its top outside pass rusher; Graham has missed the past two games and most of a third with a sprained knee and ankle, Cleveland reported.
Those moves and absences have shifted pressure onto internal pieces — including Collins — and the extension signals the organization’s desire to keep that interior consistency intact while the team distributes pass-rushing production across the roster.
The Browns framed the signing as part of an attack-style defensive approach that expects continued contributions from Collins. The extension arrives amid a stretch of defensive productivity for Cleveland and gives the team a locked-in veteran presence along the defensive line as they pursue consistency the rest of the season.
