Shortly after reports revealed that Cleveland Browns pass-rusher Myles Garrett was “preparing to miss games” if he wasn’t traded to a contender before the 2025 season, it was learned that he and the Browns had agreed to a massive four-year, $160M contract extension that included $123.5M guaranteed.
Garrett used his Friday news conference to take numerous questions from the media regarding his change of heart. Per Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand, Garrett insisted his decision wasn’t just about the fact that the Browns made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
“If it’s about the money,” Garrett said, “I could just pack it in and not give my best effort. I plan to be the best player possible, best leader possible and go out and dominate on Sundays.”
According to Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, Garrett indicated that conversations with general manager Andrew Berry about “the plans and future of this team and how we can turn it around” helped convince the 29-year-old to rescind his trade request. During his numerous Super Bowl LIX Radio Row media appearances, Garrett also explained why he doesn’t regret publicly addressing his desire to go elsewhere.
“I think I had some frustration and I feel like that helped us grow, had conversations that were difficult but needed to be had. I feel like we’re in a better place,” Garrett said about letting outsiders know about his feelings in February. “Now we can move on and go from there. …That media row run created more discourse between myself and management. That kind of stuff became a main variable for this deal getting done.”
Per Grossi, Garrett interestingly said that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam telling him “to talk to” Berry about the trade request was “for the better” and helped the two sides reach an agreement on the extension. While Garrett routinely mentioned being a “constant leader” for the Browns, there was no direct response to a Thursday story that shared he “is frequently late to the facility” and “has skipped mandatory team activities on multiple occasions.”
On Thursday, Garrett was in the team building when the Browns hosted quarterback Russell Wilson for a visit.
“I definitely think he’d be a valuable asset,” Garrett said about the Browns possibly signing Wilson as soon as Friday afternoon. “Definitely has some juice left at the position.”
It remains to be seen whether Garrett will convince a proven signal-caller such as Wilson, Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons or Aaron Rodgers to join the Browns. If he doesn’t and the Browns find themselves starting former Pittsburgh Steelers draft bust Kenny Pickett this coming September, Garrett and Berry could have uncomfortable conversations for the second consecutive winter.