Mina Kimes seems to be cooking up a sound theory.
Myles Garrett re-signed with the Cleveland Browns for a reason.
Obviously, the team presented him with a clear-cut plan to begin winning as soon as possible. They provided a blueprint for their quarterback room, showed how they planned on revive their offense, and how their impending signings and trades would surely secure them a spot atop the tough AFC North.
And, you know, money. They presented him with a then-historic amount of money.
So, of course he decided to stay put with the team that drafted him despite the Browns looking down the barrel of a rebuild they are trying so hard to avoid. With recent rumor of the team being in on trying to trade for Brandon Aiyuk again, and as they continue to pursue Russell Wilson to be their QB1, it's clear that the time for tanking isn't now.
That's what made ESPN NFL analysts Mina Kimes' inference about Garrett's comments about the team's quarterback plans so eye opening.
Kimes thinks Garrett knows Browns are drafting Shedeur Sanders
In a clip shared to social media by Kimes from her podcast "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny," she spoke about Garrett's comments to Andrew Siciliano about the team's plans at quarterback headed into 2025. The original interview with Garrett was actually shared to the Browns' official social media, suggesting there is something to be made of Garrett's answer to Siciliano there.
Kimes tells her co-host Ben Solak that she feels Garrett saying he's had conversations with the front office about their plans and that he basically knows what the move for the team is there means that Cleveland's going for Shedeur Sanders in the upcoming NFL draft.
"My interpretation of that is they're most likely taking Shedeur Sanders, because everyone agrees Cam Ward is QB1. Nobody knows what the Tennessee Titans are gonna do. That would include either taking Ward, taking another player, or trading with another team. If the Browns were to trade up for Ward, I don't think Garrett would sound as confident about the plan. It means he thinks, the Browns think, the Titans are taking Ward and they're taking Sanders," explained Kimes.
It's sound reasoning as per usual from Kimes, as she's suggesting that Garrett wouldn't likely know of the teams' sudden plan to trade up for Ward or that the team would think Kenny Pickett is their guaranteed starter in Week 1. If there's anything this interview with Garrett also could imply, it's that the team is going to keep going hard for a veteran starter that's obviously got Garrett's seal of approval.
That person can range from Russell Wilson to...well, maybe just him, considering that's the only quarterback the team has met with and who Garrett also tried recruiting in their meeting. Kimes' read here feels most likely to be the case, though.
