Maliek Collins signs new 30 million dollar extension with Cleveland

Big payday for Cleveland defender

The Cleveland Browns have agreed to terms with defensive tackle Maliek Collins on a fresh contract extension. His agent confirmed that the veteran player has lined up a two year deal valued at 30 million dollars.

This new contract includes 23 million dollars in guaranteed money. Collins, who is 31 years old, was entering the final year of his previous contract. That original deal was a two year agreement worth 20 million dollars which he signed back in March 2025.

Performance and career background

During his first season with the Cleveland team, Collins recorded a career high 6.5 sacks. However, his strong campaign was cut short when he suffered a serious quad injury in December.

He has bounced back well this season. Collins has already accumulated 3.5 sacks, managing to get a sack in three consecutive matches.

Collins originally entered the league as a third round draft selection by the Dallas Cowboys back in 2016. Across 11 seasons in the league, he has accumulated 40.5 career sacks. Throughout his career, he has spent time playing for five different teams, including Dallas, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Houston, and San Francisco.

High praise from the coaching staff

Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg shared strong praise for Collins on Thursday, highlighting his influence inside the facility.

"I don't know anything about outside the building, but in the building, he's not underrated at all," Rutenberg said. "He is the man. He is a dog. He is a key cog in that engine. We go as the engine goes. He's a huge part of driving the engine, hitting the gas on that engine."

Rutenberg added that Collins brings value far beyond his stats on game day. "And it's not just his play style. You can all see that. We can see that. It's who he is as a man. It's how he leads, it's how he provides input to the younger players, it's how he collaborates with the coaching staff to get the best out of the D line, and it's the way he practices every day."