Free agent guard Zion Johnson and the Cleveland Browns reached agreement Monday on a three-year, $49.5 million deal that includes $32.4 million guaranteed, agents Alan Herman and Jared Fox told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Johnson is the second major addition to the Browns’ offensive line this offseason. Last week, the Browns agreed to a trade with the Houston Texans to acquire tackle Tytus Howard.
The Browns also made a move on defense, agreeing to a two-year contract with linebacker Quincy Williams, sources told ESPN.
Johnson was the Los Angeles Chargers‘ most durable player in 2025, playing 100% of the team’s offensive snaps except in Week 18 when coach Jim Harbaugh benched most starters.
It was also the best year of Johnson’s career as he evolved into one of the league’s top run blockers. Johnson finished the season ranked second in run block win rate (79.3%). Still, he has struggled in pass blocking, often looking lost on defensive line stunts. He ranked as the fifth-worst guard in pass block win rate (87.4%) and played a role in quarterback Justin Herbert being the league’s most pressured and hit quarterback.
A first-round pick out of Boston College in 2022, Johnson has played both guard positions, and the Chargers briefly played him at center during training camp and the preseason. Johnson had a career low of three penalties called on him in 2025.
Williams, 29, finished last season as the New York Jets’ longest-tenured defensive player, a distinction he inherited from his younger brother, Quinnen Williams, who was drafted in 2017 and traded to the Dallas Cowboys last November.
Williams was denied a contract extension before last season and, like almost every player on the Jets’ defense, his play slipped below its usual standard. He missed four games with a shoulder injury, was demoted briefly upon his return and finished with fewer than 100 tackles for the first time in five seasons with the Jets.
ESPN’s Kris Rhim and Rich Cimini contributed to this report.