Andrew Berry commented on Myles Garrett's future in Cleveland.
When Myles Garrett let it be known that he would be meeting with Cleveland Browns' brass to address his future with the organization, it immediately raised eyebrows around the NFL.
If Garrett didn't like what he was told, would he ask for a trade? Could he use his considerable weight within the organization to force some action in the direction of contention?
Needless to say, when Andrew Berry scheduled his final media availability of the 2024 NFL season after the Browns loss in Week 18, he had to know he'd be asked about that meeting and Garrett's future with the team. Did the Browns lay out a blueprint to keep Garrett in Cleveland? Needless to say, Berry's response is fascinating.
“Okay, maybe I’ll answer that in two parts. So let me say in terms of Myles, my anticipation, expectation is that he’ll have a direct ticket from Cleveland to Canton at the end of his years and expect him to be here and retire at Brown quite frankly. In terms of winning, our goal is always going to be to win. Our goal is always going to be to improve the team,” Berry told reporters.
“I think, one of the beauties of the NFL, I guess maybe a parallel, you think about the team that was holding the two-pick last year, we’re going to see them next week play. I’m not quite sure where they play, but we’ll see Washington play in the playoffs this year. So, you can never really put necessarily a time frame on it with player movement and how things change in the NFL. It’s hard to have a crystal ball, but we really will be focused on making the decisions that we think cannot just allow us to have a 10 or 11-win blip, but really allow us to stay there. And so, that will be balancing both the short term and long term.”
Asked how it felt for Garrett to ask him about the situation and how much he was willing to share with the veteran rusher, Berry noted that it's important to be direct and honest with his players, as he wants to keep cornerstones like Garrett a part of the process.
“Yeah, Cam (Justice), it’s a great question. We’ve always believed in having direct and honest communication with our players. It’s something that we do regularly, it’s something that we do, particularly longer-term things, really more at the end of the year. That’s what we view as more of an appropriate time as opposed to the end of the season,” Berry told reporters. “So, that’s something that has been like a regular part of our, I guess, a part of our fabric. And look, everyone in the organization has so much invested into this; time, energy, sweat, equity, and I think you guys know Myles. He wants to win; he puts everything into it, and he’s one of our cornerstone players.”
Will the Browns become a double-digit team once more in 2025? Only time will tell, but if they take a step forward with… someone under center, be that Dashaun Watson, a free agent like Daniel Jones, or a draft pick like Cam Ward, it's safe to assume no one will be happier about it than Garrett.
