What is the story about?
The
Cleveland Browns signed OL Elgton Jenkins to a 2-year, $24 million deal early in the free agency period, but now it’s time to look at a breakdown of his year-by-year contract details.
- There is a reported $12 million in guaranteed money. That appears to consist of his:
- Base salary in 2026 of $1.3 million.
- $9.6 million signing bonus, which is spread out over 5 years.
- $1.0 million roster bonus in 2026 ($58,823 per game).
- $100,000 workout bonus this year.
- His base salary in 2027 would be $1.345 million, but is not guaranteed. He also has an option bonus worth $9.555 million that hits in 2027. Of that combined amount for 2027, $3 million is guaranteed for injury. If he’s not injured, though, the Browns could bail on the contract.
- If Jenkins plays both seasons and then his contract voids in 2028, he would count as $13.4 million in dead cap.
- If the Browns want to bail on Jenkins after this season, it would only be $7.68 million against the cap in 2027.
- Jenkins only played in 9 games last year, so only $529,407 would count against the cap for his roster bonus this year. If he plays more games, those would be lumped in as the salary cap adjustments made during the offseason.
The deals with Zion Johnson and Jenkins show a commitment to improving the offensive line in the near term, with options to still try to revamp and get new talent in along the line over the next few years.
