CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 10: Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after sacking … [+] Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 10, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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In a sudden change of offseason events, the Cleveland Browns were officially informed that their franchise cornerstone doesn’t want to continue playing for its organization. Browns’ defensive end Myles Garrett released a statement this morning announcing that he would like to be traded from the franchise. His declaration comes a mere few months after expressing his intent to not go through another rebuild following Cleveland’s disappointing 3-14 2024 season.
Garrett has been with the Browns since he was Cleveland’s number one overall selection in 2017. Through eight seasons, the 29-year-old has amassed a franchise-best 102.5 career sacks across 117 games, six prowl bowl berths, four First-Team All-Pro nods and a 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award. Unfortunately for Garrett, he hasn’t had the postseason opportunities or success to go with his decorated career. The Texas A&M standout succumbed through an 0-16 regular season as a rookie alongside five more losing seasons during his Cleveland tenure. Since entering the NFL, Garrett has played in just three postseason games. The edge rusher won only one of those three playoff matchups with the victory coming four years ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2021 AFC Wild Card.
For Cleveland, Garrett’s exodus caps off a rough 2024 season which saw the team’s offense regress yet again behind their believed franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson. In an article from the Athletic’s Jason Lloyd, Browns’ teammates saw Watson’s play diminish in each game as head coach Kevin Stefanski refused to correct his starter’s faults during film study in fear of hurting his quarterback’s bruised ego.
Since Watson has reportedly reinjured his torn Achilles last month and is expected to be loss for the entire 2025 season, Cleveland’s quarterback situation is murky at best. They enter the offseason with backup journeyman Jameis Winston expected to be a free agent and only young, underdeveloped signal callers in Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailee Zappe on their current roster.
It’s safe to assume Garrett saw the team approaching an inevitable rebuild around the quarterback position and wanted out as soon as possible. At the end of the regular season, Browns’ general manager Andrew Berry said it was never his intention to trade Garrett from the team. “My anticipation, expectation is that he’ll have a direct ticket from Cleveland to Canton at the end of his years and expect him to be here and retire a Brown, quite frankly,” Berry said during the team’s end of the year press conference.
Garrett rebuked those claims through his trade demand with one powerful statement.
“The goal was to never go from Cleveland to Canton,” Garrett said. “It has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.”
Garrett’s trade declaration does provide a clearer picture for the Browns’ draft board in 2025. Penn State’s All-American edge rusher Abdul Carter seems like an ideal replacement for Garrett as Cleveland’s second overall selection.
If Carter isn’t available, the franchise could use the expected draft haul from an imminent Garrett trade to fill out their litany of team needs. Either pathway is paramount in helping revitalize a team that seemed destined for newfound success this decade.
