Browns Players Earn Pay Increases for 2026 Season

Proven Performance Escalator boosts salaries for several Cleveland players

Feb. 26, 2026 at 12:33am

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Several Cleveland Browns players have earned pay increases for the 2026 NFL season thanks to the Proven Performance Escalator (PPE) in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The PPE provides salary bumps for players drafted in rounds 3-7 who meet certain playing time thresholds in their first three seasons. Browns players like Cedric Tillman, Dawand Jones, and Isaiah McGuire qualified for the PPE, resulting in over $7 million in additional cap space for the team in 2026.

Why it matters

The PPE is an important mechanism in the NFL's CBA that helps reward and retain young talent. For the Browns, it allows them to keep key contributors on their rookie deals while providing a financial incentive for players to earn significant playing time early in their careers.

The details

To qualify for the PPE, players drafted in rounds 3-7 must play in 35% of their team's snaps in two of their first three seasons, or 35% of the team's cumulative snaps over three seasons. Second-round picks need to hit a 60% snap threshold. The PPE provides three different pay levels, with the highest being the equivalent of a second-round restricted free agent tender, estimated at $5.811 million for 2026.

  • The PPE criteria is evaluated after a player's third NFL season.
  • The Browns players who qualified for the 2026 PPE were from the 2023 NFL Draft class.

The players

Cedric Tillman

A third-round pick by the Browns in 2023, Tillman played in nearly half the team's snaps as a rookie and over 35% in two of his first three seasons, qualifying him for a Level 1 PPE.

Dawand Jones

A fourth-round pick by the Browns in 2023, Jones played in over 35% of the team's snaps in his first two seasons, also earning him a Level 1 PPE.

Isaiah McGuire

A 2023 draft pick by the Browns, McGuire played in over 39% of the team's snaps in 2025, giving him the required 35% in two of his first three seasons to qualify for a Level 1 PPE.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Browns will need to monitor which players from their 2024 draft class could be in line for the PPE after the 2026 season, including DT Mike Hall Jr, WR Malachi Corley, OG Zak Zinter, and others.

The takeaway

The PPE is an important tool for the Browns to retain young talent on their roster, providing meaningful salary increases for players who earn significant playing time early in their careers. This helps the team keep key contributors while managing the salary cap.