It took a lot of losing over eight spectacular NFL campaigns for Myles Garrett before the defensive end finally asked the Cleveland Browns for a trade this offseason, but it doesn’t appear likely he’s going to get his wish.
General manager Andrew Berry spoke with media members at the combine on Tuesday, February 25, where he reiterated the team’s initial stance to Garrett’s trade request: it’s not happening.
“Myles, as you guys have all heard me say, he’s a huge part of our organization,” Berry said, per ClevelandBrowns.com. “Understand the trade request and everything, but our stance really has not changed. We can’t imagine a situation where not having Myles as a part of the organization is best for the Browns.”
“We’re not interested in moving him.”
Myles Garrett Wants to Win, Browns Currently Far Away From That Goal
That is, of course, bad news for Garrett who made clear in his trade request that winning now is his priority.
“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever,” Garrett wrote in an official statement that he made public on February 3. “The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
The Browns have made the playoffs in just two of Garrett’s eight years, during which he has amassed 116 tackles for loss, 102.5 sacks and earned six All-Pro selections as well as six trips to the Pro Bowl.
Cleveland most recently participated in the postseason following the 2023 campaign, though the Houston Texans blew the Browns out over Super Wildcard Weekend. Garrett has experienced winning a playoff game just once, which came during the 2020-21 postseason via a victory over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Andrew Berry Appears in Job-Protection Mode After Deshaun Watson Debacle
Cleveland’s immediate prospects of getting back into contention aren’t good after a three-win campaign last season that landed the Browns the No. 2 pick in the draft.
The franchise will certainly be able to add an elite piece with that selection and do so at a relatively inexpensive price. However, the Browns still face the toughest obstacle football as they head into next season: uncertainty at the quarterback position without any real answers.
Even if Cleveland selects a QB with the second pick, there is no guarantee that Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward will be ready to step in Week 1. And even if they are, there will be growing pains and bumps along the road.
There is also the Deshaun Watson variable to consider. He remains under contract for the next two seasons on a fully-guaranteed $230 million deal. That massive sunk cost will continue to weigh on the franchise’s prospects for years to come and undoubtedly hamstrings its ability to build back a winner around Garrett quickly.
Should a team come with a monster offer for Garrett, perhaps two first-round picks, Berry would be irresponsible not to reconsider.
However, after making the catastrophic mistakes of trading a haul for Watson and then signing him to perhaps the worst deal in the history of American professional sports, Berry’s resumé may not be able to afford the evidence of multiple poor managerial decisions pushing Garrett out of Cleveland after what has already been a Hall of Fame career before the age of 30.
