The struggles and problems in Cleveland have finally pushed Myles Garrett to want out of the team. The most surprising part of his trade demand on Monday, made through social media, is that it took this long for him to reach this decision.
Garrett, 29, is coming off what could be his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year season, with 14 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. He has been a standout player for the Browns since they drafted him first overall in 2017 out of Texas A&M.
The problem isn’t Garrett; it’s the team. The Browns have been terrible, and Garrett doesn’t want his career wasted by staying there.
“While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent,” Garrett wrote on Instagram. “The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.”
NFL teams can change quickly — Washington went from three wins last season to the NFC championship game this year. But Garrett doesn’t believe the Browns can turn it around. He feels he’s wasted eight great years with them and doesn’t want to waste any more.
The root of the problem goes back to one of the worst trades in NFL history — the Browns’ 2022 decision to give up six draft picks, including three first-rounders, to acquire Deshaun Watson from Houston. This happened after Watson was involved in a sexual harassment and assault scandal with multiple massage therapists.
Despite everything, the Browns still signed him to a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract, even though he was facing a suspension.
Watson has played poorly, with only 19 touchdowns in 19 starts. His time with the Browns has been marked by average performances, a league punishment, and injuries. The Browns finished with a 3-14 record, and the team’s roster has been weakened by the loss of those draft picks.
The situation keeps getting worse, leading to Garrett — the Browns’ best player, fan favorite, and key defensive lineman — feeling hopeless and wanting to leave.
Garrett had already hinted at wanting to be traded, but when general manager Andrew Berry said last week the Browns wouldn’t entertain offers, Garrett made his feelings public and clear, especially during Super Bowl week.
This could push Garrett toward a contender — and there will be plenty of teams interested. Philadelphia, Detroit, and Cincinnati are all possible landing spots.
But the starting point of this mess is the Watson trade. The Browns had quarterback Baker Mayfield but didn’t believe in him, and he’s since led Tampa Bay to the playoffs twice. They saw Watson as an upgrade, which might have been true if he had returned to his previous form and avoided his off-field issues.
The price Cleveland paid for Deshaun Watson was huge, a bid that seemed excessive and driven by desperation when it didn’t really seem necessary. But the team didn’t care.
“We are confident in Deshaun and excited about moving forward with him as our quarterback and supporting his genuine and determined efforts,” said team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam in a statement at the time.
That confidence has clearly faded.
Things have gotten so bad that Garrett is now demanding to be traded, even though, on a personal level, he’s been happy and playing well.
“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever,” Garrett wrote. “My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.”
For Cleveland, the only silver lining here is that they might be able to recover some of the lost draft picks from the Watson trade. What could Garrett be worth? Maybe two first-round picks? Or perhaps a first-round pick and a couple of other picks?
Garrett still has two years left on his five-year, $125 million deal. His salary cap hits are $19.7 million for 2025 and $20.3 million for 2026. He’s one of the best at his position, which is extremely valuable.
He won’t turn 30 until December. His effort, conditioning, and attitude have never been in question. And if he can get 14 sacks on a 14-loss team, what could he do on a team that’s actually trying to win a championship?
Imagine Garrett in Detroit alongside Aidan Hutchinson. Or Garrett on a young, hungry team like Washington. Or Garrett in Cincinnati, where the Bengals already have all the offense they need. Or maybe Garrett joining an elite defensive line in Philadelphia, if the Eagles can make the salary cap work.
Every team will be interested — including rebuilding teams like Las Vegas or New England that are trying to show they have a promising future.
Wherever he goes, it won’t be in Cleveland unless the Browns somehow convince him that they’re in a better position than he thinks.
Garrett wants to play for a contender, and ever since the Deshaun Watson trade, Cleveland hasn’t looked like one.
