An alum of both Benedictine and Ohio State, Baker spent six years with the Miami Dolphins before splitting time with Seattle and Tennessee last season.
CLEVELAND — Jerome Baker is returning to where it all started.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of 3News media partner Cleveland.com, the Browns have signed the linebacker and Cleveland native to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Baker was a star at Benedictine High School, helping lead the Bengals to the Division IV OHSAA state championship in 2014. He then spent three years playing for Urban Meyer at Ohio State, starting his last two seasons for Buckeye teams that made the College Football Playoff and won the Big Ten, respectively.
After declaring early for the 2018 NFL draft, Baker was taken in the third round by the Miami Dolphins, where he would spend the first six seasons of his pro career. During his tenure in South Beach, Baker recorded 100 tackles three separate times while totaling 22 1/2 sacks and five interceptions.
Baker began the 2024 campaign with Seattle before being traded to the Tennessee Titans in a move that sent fellow linebacker Ernest Jones back to the Seahawks. In 10 total games (eight starts), he recorded 61 tackles with two TFLs and a pair of sacks.
The 28-year-old Baker will officially be the third linebacker to sign with the Browns this offseason. In the early hours of free agency, Cleveland inked ex-Tampa Bay starter Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to a $4.75 million contract before also re-signing depth piece Devin Bush.
Additionally on Friday, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported that the New York Giants had agreed to terms with quarterback Jameis Winston, who started seven games for the Browns this past year. Cleveland will now continue its search for a veteran QB to help along the rookie they’re expected to draft next month.