Less than a year ago, the Browns and all-world defensive end Myles Garrett engaged in a standoff that concluded in early March with a massive contract extension. Although Garrett landed a four-year, $160MM pact then, his future in Cleveland is once again in question as the offseason approaches.
At 4-12, the Browns are about to wrap up a second straight season in which they’ll finish closer to 32nd overall than a playoff spot. Cleveland has gone 7-26 since 2024, and despite Garrett’s presence, the team has posted a sub-.500 record in seven of the future Hall of Famer’s nine seasons.
When he requested a trade last February, Garrett stated: “The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
Garrett’s long-term agreement with Cleveland came together just weeks later. On the field, he hasn’t taken his foot off the gas since then. On the contrary, with 22 sacks through 16 games, Garrett is one away from setting the single-season all-time record (albeit in one more game than Michael Strahan and two more than T.J. Watt). He’s also a strong bet to win Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time.
Despite Garrett’s brilliance, the Browns continue to look unlikely to contend in the near term. The 30-year-old made it clear on Friday that he is not interested in participating in a rebuild (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com).
“I quote Maxx (Crosby),” Garrett said. “I’m committed to winning and as long as the team and the organization are doing so — they’re committed to that same thing — then I’m all on board. But if we’re thinking anything other than winning — tanking or rebuilding — it’s not me.”
As a star defensive lineman on a bottom-feeding team, the Raiders’ Crosby is in a similar position to Garrett. Crosby has made it clear that winning is the main goal, but he nonetheless joined Garrett in signing an extension last offseason. It remains to be seen whether either will request a trade this winter.
The Browns have a more pressing matter to deal with in deciding head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s future in the coming days. Garrett and the Browns have gone to the playoffs twice under Stefanski, who won Coach of the Year in both instances, but his job status is up in the air. Cleveland could be searching for a new coach as early as next week.
Garrett said there have been “more downs than ups” in six years under Stefanski. Evidenced by Stefanski’s 44-56 record, Garrett isn’t wrong.
That’s not to suggest Garrett is calling for Stefanski’s ouster, though, as he added: “I don’t know what the future holds, whether it’s with him or anything else. I’m going to look forward to playing under whoever it is. Be happy to be here and being a Brown regardless.”
To keep Garrett content, the Browns will likely need to commit to major improvements on offense. The unit, which sits 31st in the NFL in scoring, has offset a second-ranked defense. Reuniting with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in free agency last offseason appeased Garrett, according to Cabot. However, after a 1-4 start to the year, the Browns dealt Flacco to the Bengals.
Discussing the Flacco trade, Garrett said: “If we’re going to trade Joe away, then we’ve got to find a way to win games regardless of who’s back there and haven’t done it enough. I see a couple rookies that continue to grow, but it was interesting. But we’re here now.”
The Browns haven’t found a clear solution at quarterback in third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel, Flacco’s initial successor, or fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders. While Sanders has performed better than Gabriel since taking over in Week 12, he’s hardly a lock to start in 2026. Neither is veteran Deshaun Watson, who will miss the entire 2025 season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles. Watson’s four-year run in Cleveland has been a disaster, but with an onerous contract, he’ll likely remain in the organization for another season.
Gabriel, Sanders and Watson will enter the offseason as candidates to start in 2026, though the Browns could add to the group in free agency and/or the draft. With two first-round picks, including a potential top five selection, they may find a potential franchise signal-caller in April. How the Browns handle the position will be of great interest to Garrett, who “will undoubtedly want to know what the future” holds at QB, Cabot writes.
Despite the Browns’ ongoing struggles, general manager Andrew Berry is likely to remain in his post in 2026. If Berry doesn’t convince Garrett he has the answers, the seven-time Pro Bowler could emerge as a key figure in the rumor mill for the second straight offseason.
One-trick pony.
It’s fine if you don’t like the guy, but calling him a “one-trick pony” is objectively wrong. He’s an elite pass rusher, has improved from good run defender to borderline elite run defender over the past handful of years, and is actually fairly effective when he’s asked to drop into coverage.
Garrets one trick has earned him close to quarter of a billion dollars, a place in the HOF, and can retire before he’s 40
What’s your one trick done for you?
The Watson trade is now history. The excuses ended with the 2025 season.
In case you were wondering, the Browns got:
QB Deshaun Watson
2024 sixth-round pick (used in the Jerry Jeudy trade)
And the Texans got:
2022 first-round pick (OG Kenyon Green)
2022 fourth-round pick (RB Dameon Pierce)
2023 first-round pick (DE Will Anderson Jr.)
2023 third-round pick (WR Tank Dell)
2024 first-round pick (used for CB Kamari Lassiter and LB Jamal Hill)
2024 fourth-round pick (S Calen Bullock)
Of course he’s still on their books for another guaranteed season, so still feeling the effects of the trade
Those are 3 1st round picks who should be on Cleveland’s roster for 2026.
It’s never been an excuse for Cleveland, it’s a consequence of their own stupidity. They will still be suffering in 2026 for this poor decision.
It’s going to be tough. You need a new HC, a new QB and a lot of other pieces.
New ownership would help as well.
Gotta start by getting an offensive minded HC that will open up the offense more…commit to developing a QB, if that’s Sanders great, if not, just commit to a QB and stop all these changes…and for heaven sakes Andrew Berry FIX OUR OL
Maybe do a freaky Friday w any other franchise in the league
I don’t see if being that tough personally
With their 1st 1st round pick I’d take Carnell Tate out of OSU as a running mate for Jeudy Fanning and Bond
I’d resign Teller and Bitonio
With their 2nd 2nd round pick I’d trade back with someone looking to trade up for a QB.
With 2 2nds I’d draft Worlds out of Oregon and Goosby out of Texas
I’d also try to steal Linderbaum for BAL
Worlds, Teller, Linderbaum, Bitonio, Goosby up front
Sanders at QB
Fanning Bond Tate Jeudy receiving
They have a good young nucleus.
Only real question is who to pair with Sampson while Judkins recovers
There could be some turnover in this division in a couple years, unfortunately Browns look more than 2 years away
If he was committed to winning he wouldn’t have stayed in Cleveland.
That’s the truth right there. He took the money and went against everything else he said. He made his bed.
He loves Cleveland, has an ownership stake in the Cavaliers. He genuinely wants to win in Cleveland. He didn’t really have a leg to stand on in requesting the trade due to his contract but he certainly isn’t unhappy he signed his extention…but don’t doubt his desire to win….
His desire to win is less than his desire for $.
No he’s not committed to winning. He’s committed to his bottom line. And I don’t blame him for it. But if he was committed to winning, he would have pushed the “trade me” stuff in the offseason through this year if he had to just to get out of town.
No he’s not. He resigned with Cleveland. Nobody believes he’s committed to winning. I mean I’m not turning down that contract either but don’t give us the winning is my priority bs
Take the money and get traded in one season was probably the play.
lolokay
No offense, sir, but you signed with the Browns… you aren’t committed to winning.
All you people foolishly stating that Garrett isn’t committed to winning just need to delete your accounts. That dude GOT HIS BAG… and immediately set out to having arguably the best season of productivity of any defensive player in the league. He proved he’s committed to winning, because he already got his money and knew going into the season that Cleveland wasn’t going to be good, but still went out there and did every single thing in his power to earn Cleveland some wins.
The owner is committed to money and power. The front office is committed to buffoonery. The coach, well, poor guy is probably committed to just getting a new gig at this point. Garrett is the one guy in that group who is committed to winning, and he showed he wants that winning to happen in Cleveland.
It’s no surprise that he doesn’t want his efforts wasted because of the incompetence of the FO/owner suits. Speaking up about that is Garrett speaking to the desire to win in Cleveland.
The did got his bag and nothing else. I will delete my account right after you do. You watch even less Cleveland football than I do.
He’s all about the money, if he was committed to winning he would’ve forced the browns to trade him to a contender instead he played the browns last year into that massive contract
The NFL should take a page from wrestling and just give everyone who is unhappy their own championship belt.
Come on over to Chicago Myles. We’re building something over here.
The bears aren’t building crap!! Until they can dominate the packers the way the pack have dominated the bears last 25-30 years then u have something…. Understand??
Check the standings homeboy. I am no Bears homer by any means. But the Pack ain’t sh this year.
Another clueless idiot
Add either Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett to the bears and the pass rush gets better, which makes the linebackers and deep coverage better. Likely move DJ Moore money to help make room for the addition.
Yeah except none of that is going to happen outside of you playing Madden.
Haslam is the issue. He meddles in everything. If the Browns want to be good again, they simply need Jimmy Haslam to disappear (and get five new OL since Teller is probably walking, Bitonio is retiring, Jones can’t stay healthy, and everyone else is not good).
If he is committed to winning why did he trip in Cleveland? He would have gotten paid anywhere so that’s not it. By the time Cleveland is legit winning he will probably be retired.