Denzel Ward is making a move off the field that keeps him rooted in Cleveland.
The Browns cornerback and Northeast Ohio native has joined Travis Kelce as a minority investor in the Guardians, the team announced Wednesday. Ward’s stake places him in the same ownership group the Guardians revealed in May when Kelce came aboard.
Ward, 29, grew up in Macedonia, attended Nordonia High School and played at Ohio State before the Browns selected him No. 4 overall in 2018. The extension he signed in late July - two years, $62 million - should keep the five-time Pro Bowler in Cleveland for his entire career. Through 100 career games, Ward has 18 interceptions, and he led the NFL with 19 pass breakups in 2024.
“Cleveland is my hometown,” Ward said in a statement. “I’m so blessed to be able to show up for this city on the field and now as a part of the Guardians organization.”
The Guardians said they will honor Ward at Progressive Field on Tuesday.
Ward’s arrival fits into a broader ownership transition for the franchise. The Dolan family, the longest-tenured owners in team history, bought the club for $323 million in November 1999 after a failed attempt to purchase the expansion Browns. Four years ago, Paul Dolan reached an agreement with David Blitzer that gave Blitzer a minority role and a path to eventually take over controlling interest.
Multiple industry sources told The Athletic that Blitzer’s first chance to assume majority control comes after the 2027 season, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Dolan has said he intends to remain on as a minority owner.
Blitzer was also the driving force behind the additions of Kelce and Ward. Both players sat in his suite for the Guardians’ home opener in April. The Guardians had planned to celebrate Kelce’s involvement in June, but rain washed out that day, and the Chiefs tight end ended up signing autographs for fans from the players’ parking lot instead.
Blitzer’s sports portfolio is wide-ranging. He co-owns the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils, a forthcoming WNBA team and a NASCAR outfit with business partner Josh Harris through Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, and he also has ownership stakes in several soccer clubs across Europe.
The Guardians’ valuation and payroll remain part of the backdrop here. Forbes estimated the franchise’s value at $1.66 billion this spring, placing it 26th among MLB’s 30 teams, and the club annually carries one of the league’s lowest payrolls.
John Sherman, a Kansas City businessman, was originally brought in as Dolan’s potential successor in 2016, but he sold his shares three years later to buy his hometown Royals instead. After Sherman stepped away, he and Dolan shopped his stake for years before landing on Blitzer as the right partner.
Last summer, Sherman told The Athletic in a sit-down interview that he “would have made ties (in Cleveland),” but added, “It’s just different - to get to do this in your hometown is a pretty special deal, and it’s a rare opportunity.”
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