Cleveland Browns defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo defended himself on social media after he was called out for liking a post calling out Myles Garrett’s absence from OTAs.
![Myles Garrett getting advice from another Cleveland superstar on how to use his voice]()
The workouts are optional but Garrett’s absence is significant considering his role on the team as a leader. It’s led to some chatter online and Okoronkwo liked a post talking about Garrett’s situation. It was amplified by the aggregate account Dov Kleiman.
“Uh Oh: Browns DE Ogbo Okoronkwo liked a post on IG that talked about Myles Garrett not being a good leader for the team,” the account said. “The post criticizes Myles for being in Japan and not at OTAs.”
Okoronkwo saw the post and responded to tell his side of the story.
“Myles a great teammate and leader, saw the post and thought these guys literally don’t have a clue what’s going on and this post supported that,” Okoronkwo wrote on X. “If you’re bored go exercise.”
Browns Not Concerned With Myles Garrett’s Absence
Garrett’s situation comes with a bit of baggage, which makes it polarizing. He demanded a trade this offseason before cooler heads prevailed. Garrett ended up agreeing to a four-year, $160 million contract extension.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam challeneged Garrett to take on more of a leadership role after signing the lucrative new deal.
“What we’ve challenged Myles on is, by his practice habits, by his actions, etc., to become a real leader of the team,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told cleveland.com. “And he has said he’d do that and we’re hopeful that he will be.”
Garrett has also expressed that he wants to grow into more of a leader for Cleveland.
“I’ll continue to be the person that I have been,” he said. “And I think just being that constant leader, I don’t think you can put a dollar sign on that at any time. Leaders come from guys who are undrafted to guys who are the highest paid. It doesn’t take a playmaker to be a leader, nor does it take, like I said, a dollar sign. So continue to learn to be more and more a leader every year and every day.”
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about Garrett’s absence on Wednesday and if he was upset.
“No,” Stefanski said with a chuckle. “It’s really important to remember this is a voluntary program.”
Myles Garrett Not Only Browns Veteran Missing OTAs
Garrett was not the only absentee from the first round of OTAs. Fellow veterans David Njoku, Greg Newsome and newly-signed receiver Diontae Johnson also were not there.
“I think it’s really important to remember that this is a voluntary program and anybody who’s here, we’re excited about that,” Stefanski reiterated. “We’re not reporting who’s here on what day. So, there are guys that will be in and out of the program and that is totally their prerogative. But the guys that are here will just continue to work.”
Johnson’s case is much different than the others. The Browns signed the 28-year-old pass-catcher this offseason to a veteran’s minimum deal with no guarantees. After a turbulent 2024 season spent with three different teams, Cleveland is hoping he can recapture the Pro Bowl form he showed earlier in his career.
