The Cleveland Browns may be without superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett on Sunday after he popped up on the injury report with a new issue.
Garrett missed practice on Thursday with a back injury. His status is unclear for Sunday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. At 3-11, the Browns have been eliminated from postseason contention. However, Cleveland is eager to hand the Bengals a blow that could potentially end their playoff pursuit.
“Obviously our season over, so we tryna bring them with us,” Browns safety Grant Delpit said.
It will be a much taller task without Garrett on the field. He’s one of the most impactful defensive players in the league, notching 10.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss this season. No other Browns player currently on the roster has more than three sacks.
Garrett is also on the verge of 100 sacks — a significant milestone for his already decorated career in Cleveland. He’s sitting at 99.5 career sacks.
Browns Star Myles Garrett Doesn’t Want to Shut it Down
Garrett has been banged up this season. He dealt with a foot injury for the first part of the season and also took a nasty eye-poke last week against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite the Browns’ season going south, Garrett has not sounded like someone with plans to shut it down.
“I play this game to be the very best there is, and I expect everyone else to play because they love it. Play because they want to be remembered for something,” Garrett said after a recent loss. “There will be film, people will speak about you. And you’ll have to know that your effort and what you put on tape is going to decide what’s gonna happen for your career, and for years to come.”
The Browns are thin at defensive end. The team traded away Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions and backup Alex Wright is out for the year.
Myles Garrett Says Browns Need to be on ‘Same Page’
The Browns’ season has been a failure, but Garrett is still confident in head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry. However, the star pass-rusher didn’t shy away from mentioning that not everyone is on the same page.
“We got those guys right there leading the charge organizationally. Them being here, wanting to pick up the right pieces and play will give me confidence,” Garrett said on December 13. “As long has that’s how it’s looking how it is, I want to be here, and I’ll be happy to play for Cleveland. We all got to be heading in the right direction, and we all got to be on the same page. And until then, I’ll be here playing for the team that drafted me.”
Part of that comment from Garrett could stem from the Browns’ quarterback situation, which has and will continue to be a disaster. Deshaun Watson hasn’t looked like a capable starter when healthy and is out for the year following a ruptured Achilles. Watson’s $230 million, fully guaranteed deal has significantly impacted how the Browns can build their roster.
