Once upon a time, there were big things expected in the NFC North for Browns linebacker Devin Bush. He was the No. 10 pick in the 2019 draft by the Steelers out of Michigan, and started 15 games as a rookie, making 109 tackles. But he tore his ACL in Year 2, and never really recovered from there–when he hit free agency in 2023, the Steelers had no interest in bringing him back and he got just a $3.5 million one-year deal with the Seahawks.
In Pittsburgh, the Steelers’ USA Today site had a headline that winter, “LB Devin Bush is easily the biggest Steelers NFL draft bust.” Sports Illustrated named Bush among the, “Biggest Draft Busts of the Past 10 Years,” in April 2023. Safe to say, he was a disappointment.
Browns Got a Bargain in Devin Bush
But Bush has had a resurgence in Cleveland. He signed a minimum deal with the Browns in 2024, and played well enough to warrant a return contract for this season. And he’s made the most of the chance, making 75 tackles in 11 starts, and establishing a career high with five passes defended and four quarterback hits.
A bust no more, Bush is ranked the No. 6 linebacker (out of 83) in the Pro Football Focus grades system, earning a mark of 84.9 for the Browns this year. That means he is due a significant raise, and though the Browns have already given new deals to Myles Garrett and Alex Wright, Bush should be on their list, too.
Devin Bush Having a Breakout Year
Examining the players who will be the top free agents next winter, NFL contract guru Mike Ginnitti of Spotrac says Bush will be one of the top linebackers on the market.
“Devin Bush in Cleveland, who did not show signs of this kind of breakout despite where he was drafted. But he is now way out-kicking his coverage. …” Ginnitti said on “The Spotrac Podcast.”
“You could see and hear coming from Cleveland that this was a player who was developing and that they could use.”
Browns ‘Comfortable With’ $30 Million Contract
Bush won’t break the bank, Ginnitti says. Linebackers these days just aren’t top-dollar players. But the Browns need to keep him in place, and the Spotrac model has him getting three years and $27 million–though that may be a bit low.
“They doubled his salary in 2025 to about $3.5 million. Now he is full-time. Now he is going to be career highs in pretty much everything. And now he has established himself for a good Cleveland defense, a defense that even the best teams in football do not want to match up with in 2025,” Ginnitti said.
“He started at the bottom the past three seasons and has risen himself to be a formidable off-ball linebacker. He is not gonna be in the $15 million per year conversation despite his draft pedigree. But half that is about right–$8 or $9 or $10 million per year. You want to put him on a three for $30 (million)? I think team and player are comfortable with that.”
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