Zac Jackson: The Denzel Ward Extension Doesn't Add Up With a Rebuild
Zac Jackson: The Denzel Ward Extension Doesn't Add Up With a Rebuild  
Podcast: The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima
Published On: Wed Jul 29 2026
Description: Zac Jackson joins Lima and Nick Pedone to unpack his "same old Browns" take on the Denzel Ward extension, explaining he expected the team to keep tearing down toward next year's quarterback draft rather than commit long-term money to a 29-year-old cornerback. Jackson argues Ward leveraged the Myles Garrett situation perfectly to force a pay-or-trade decision, and while he still believes the defense can be good under new coordinator Mike Rutenberg and rookie Jared Verse, he's skeptical it can be a truly elite unit without Garrett. On the quarterback competition, Jackson says he's not optimistic about Deshaun Watson regaining anything close to his old form and predicts the real tell of who's winning will be whether one quarterback starts pulling ahead in first-team reps rather than any grainy practice video.