As the 3-11 Cleveland Browns endure another disappointing season, defensive end Myles Garrett appears to be losing some confidence.
Garrett, who spent all eight of his NFL seasons with the Browns, is committed to remaining loyal to Cleveland. But for the first time, the five-time Pro Bowler seemed open to the possibility of joining a more successful team.
When asked if it was more important to him to finish his career in Cleveland or play for a Super Bowl contender, Garrett said he wanted to be in a situation where he won more.
“First of all, I want to win and I want the Browns to be able to put me and us in a position to win,” Garrett told reporters. “I’m not trying to rebuild. I’m trying to win right now. And I want that to be evident once the season is over and we have these discussions. I want them to be able to illuminate, illustrate this for me so that it’s something I can see in the near future. Because that’s all we want to do.
Garrett was drafted No. 1 overall by the Browns in 2017 and has spent his entire career there. He signed a five-year, $125 million extension with the Browns in 2020, renewing his commitment to the team. Although Garrett said he would like to stay with Cleveland long term, it will depend on what the team can do for him.
“I want to stay loyal to a team that showed me loyalty and belief in me by drafting me, but we have to do, ultimately, what’s best for us,” Garrett added Friday.
Garrett, who has two years remaining on his contract with the Browns, is currently in prime time in his career. He has 31 solo tackles, 11 sacks and three forced fumbles so far this season, and has been a bright spot for the Browns in 2024. He is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and is tied for fourth in most tackles for loss in the league this year.
Throughout the season, Garrett has maintained that he wants to stay in Cleveland, including as recently as last week. “I want to be here and I will be happy to play for Cleveland,” Garrett told reporters last Friday. “We all have to be moving in the right direction, we all have to be on the same page. Until then, I’ll be here, happily playing for the team that drafted me.”
But that feeling of being on the same wavelength could change. The Browns lost 21-7 at home to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, dropping the team to 3-11 and cementing another losing season.
Part of the problem is Cleveland’s historically large, fully guaranteed $230 million contract with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in October. Watson’s contract was a huge gamble that decidedly didn’t pay off and instead hampered the team financially.
Cleveland has three games left in the season, with a matchup against the local rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, on Sunday. Based on what he said, Garrett seems likely to evaluate the possibility of leaving once the season is over, or at least having real conversations with the Browns about their plans to do better next year.
