The official first day of the 2026 NFL season required the Browns to take care of some business.
Here is what they did.
Stood by and allowed Joel Bitonio’s contract with four “dummy” years to void
This inaction is very difficult to explain.
The Browns’ posture on Bitonio is that they believe he has earned the right to take his time to make a very personal and emotional decision on whether to retire or return for a 13th NFL season.
That’s well and good. But because Bitonio is not ready to commit one way or the other, his contract automatically voided at the 4 p.m. deadline on Wednesday, resulting in $23.5 million in dead cap charges to the Browns’ 2026 salary cap.
Had Bitonio made the decision to return, the Browns would have negotiated a new contract to mitigate the dead cap charges.
Had Bitonio made the decision to retire, the Browns could have divided the charges to $8.574 million in 2026 and $14.93 in 2027 – similar to a post-June 1 designation.
Although the Browns have used their allotted two post-June 1 designations on David Njoku and Wyatt Teller, there was a way for them to effectively do the same with Bitonio, according to salary cap expert Jason Fitzgerald, founder of Overthecap.com.
Fitzgerald wrote in a text message that if Bitonio had informed them he intended to retire, the Browns could have kept him on their roster until June 2, after which his dead cap charges would have been divided accordingly.
If Bitonio does decide to return for the 2026 season, the Browns will have to negotiate a new contract with him, with a resulting salary cap charge, in addition to the $23.5 million already assessed them.
Confirmed four free agent signings
Three players were previously reported – guard Zion Johnson (formerly with the Chargers), linebacker Quincy Williams (Jets) and guard-center Elgton Jenkins (Packers).
The fourth agreed to terms on a one-year deal on Wednesday. He is tight end Jack Stoll, who’s appeared in 76 games with the Eagles (2021-24), Dolphins (2024) and Saints (2025).
Stoll, 6-4 and 245 pounds, is almost an extension of the offensive line. He’s an in-line blocking specialist who occasionally catches passes – 28 in five seasons for 239 yards and one touchdown.
Confirmed one trade
Right tackle Tytus Howard was acquired from the Texans for the fifth-round draft pick acquired in last season’s trade with the Raiders for quarterback Kenny Pickett, No. 141 overall.
The Browns still own two picks in the fifth round – No. 146 (their own) and No. 149 (acquired in the trade with the Bengals for Joe Flacco).
The Browns also rewarded Howard with a three-year contract extension through 2029 for a reported $56 million, including $36 million fully guaranteed.
In the Browns’ official release of the trade, Howard said, ““It means a lot to be able to sign an extension here, a start fresh and be able to build my name up here in Cleveland. I’m excited for the future. I know that it’s great things to come, and hopefully, I can be here even longer than the extension to continue to make a positive impact on the city.
“Being in a city with such a love for football, and just excited to get here and make an impact – especially on the offensive line, to give Shedeur [Sanders], Deshaun [Watson], all these quarterbacks as much time as possible, to make an impact every day and win some games.”
(That second quote substantiates our ongoing narrative that the Browns are going full speed ahead with a quarterback competition involving Watson, Sanders, and possibly Dillon Gabriel.)
Confirmed a tender to one restricted free agent
The Browns gave safety Ronnie Hickman the right-of-first-refusal tender of $3.52 million.
It means Hickman can seek other offers, but the Browns have the right to match. If they decline, they would not receive a draft pick in compensation because Hickman was undrafted.
The Browns declined to reserve refusal rights on linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, tight end Blake Whiteheart, and defensive lineman Sam Kamara, who were RFAs (unsigned, three years in the NFL), like Hickman. Those players now are considered unrestricted free agents and can sign with any team.