Myles Garrett took a direct shot at the Cleveland Browns front office, making his frustration unmistakable in his trade demand.
There’s been chatter about Garrett’s future in Cleveland since December, when he put pressure on the front office to improve the roster in a hurry.
“First of all I want to win, and want the Browns to be able to put me and us in a position to win,” Garrett told reporters on Dec. 20. “I’m not trying to rebuild. I’m trying to win right now. And I want that to be apparent when the season’s over and we have those discussions. I want them to be able to illuminate, illustrate that for me so that can be something I can see in the near future. Because that’s all we want to do.
“I want to stay loyal to a team that showed loyalty to me and faith in me by drafting me, but we have to do, at the end of the day, what’s best for us.”
Since then, the Browns have rebuffed any idea of trading Garrett. Browns general manager Andrew Berry has used the line “from Cleveland to Canton” multiple times, saying he wants Garrett to retire as a member of the Browns and go to the Hall of Fame.
That clearly didn’t sit well with Garrett, who referenced it in his demand.
“The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl,” Garrett said. “With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
Browns Don’t Plan to Trade Myles Garrett
The Browns have addressed talk of Garrett demanding a trade as recently as the Senior Bowl last week. Berry made his stance clear that the All-Pro pass-rusher won’t be moved.
“We always have a really good and direct two-way communication with our players,” Berry said. “We feel really good about Myles obviously as a big piece of our future. We’re looking forward to him being on the field.
Berry also said frankly that if two first-round picks were on the table for Garrett, he’d shut it down.
“Correct. You can put that on the record,” Berry said.
Garrett has been one of the most impactful players in the league since being selected with the top overall pick in 2017. He’s notched double-digit sacks in seven straight seasons and is the Browns’ all-time sack leader with 102.5.
And Garrett has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s fresh off a 14-sack campaign and is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year after winning it a year ago.
Myles Garrett Trade Demand Could be Negotiating Tactic
Garrett’s move to publicly demand a trade could be a tactic to put pressure on the Browns. Perhaps he wants more money in an extension, or maybe he heard what Cleveland plans to do tactically this offseason and wasn’t a fan.
Berry has said the team plans to work on an extension for Garrett that would likely make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson holds that distinction, making $35 million per season.
The most significant hole for the Browns is at quarterback. Cleveland holds the No. 2 overall pick, but many have questioned if a franchise passer is in this crop of quarterbacks.
Garrett has clearly stated that he’s not interested in a rebuild. So, the Browns need to work quickly to revamp the roster and find a path forward that may change Garrett’s mind.
