Myles Garrett’s absence from the Cleveland Browns’ offseason programming is expected to continue.
Garrett is not expected to attend the second week of voluntary OTAs, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Fellow defensive standout Denzel Ward’s status is also up in the air, although both players are expected back in June when attendance becomes mandatory.
“Myles Garrett is not expected for the second week of voluntary OTAs, and it remains to be seen if Denzel Ward will attend either of the remaining two days this week,” Cabot said. “But both will be here for mandatory minicamp June 9-11.”
Garrett has not been around for the voluntary portion of the offseason, but he is still expected to report when it matters. Mandatory minicamp runs June 9-11, which is when the situation would become much more notable if Garrett were not in attendance.
Myles Garrett Has Not Met Face-to-Face With Todd Monken
Garrett remains the face of the defense and one of the most important players on the roster, but he has yet to spend meaningful time with the new coaching staff. His lack of a relationship with new head coach Todd Monken has raised some eyebrows. Monken was hired in January and is now leading his first offseason program in Cleveland. Garrett has yet to meet with Monken in person.
Monken was asked whether he had met Garrett face-to-face yet during OTAs last week. His answer was brief.
“No,” Monken said.
Cabot explained it may be due to Garrett’s offseason travel schedule.
“Garrett has been mostly traveling in Asia since Monken said at voluntary minicamp that they’ve only exchanged a few text messages so far, so it’s not surprising they haven’t met yet,” Cabot said.
Browns Not Panicked Over Myles Garrett’s Absence
The Browns are not overly concerned about Garrett missing voluntary work, which has been his routine over the past few seasons. He’s earned that kind of latitude. Garrett has been one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive players for years and is coming off another monster season, notching a single-season record 23 sacks and earning his second Defensive Player of the Year honor.
But Garrett’s absence is being viewed through a different lens this offseason because of the noise around his future. His name has continued to surface in trade speculation, even as the Browns have publicly maintained that they see him as a foundational piece.
“Myles is a career Brown,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said. “He’s one of the faces of our organization. I think we’ve been very clear both past and present in terms of our goals. I understand all the questions. I’ll be honest, I don’t really want to waste a ton more breath on the topic.”
That chatter ignited after Cleveland restructured Garrett’s contract. It was a move that pushed money around and, on paper, made a potential trade easier to manage from a cap perspective.
The most important date remains June 9. If Garrett is in Berea for mandatory minicamp, the Browns can move past the spring absence without much issue. But it’s hard to forget that a year ago, Garrett publicly demanded a trade, seeking to play for a contender. Garrett has made it clear his only priority is winning and competing in the postseason. Cleveland is building, but still far from being considered a legitimate Super Bowl threat.
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