The Cleveland Browns have a dangerous needle to thread this offseason if they don’t want to lose star pass rusher Myles Garrett.
Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has made it abundantly clear to the organization and the media that he is no longer interested in patiently waiting for the front office to build a roster capable of sustained winning.
The defensive end doubled-down on that position while speaking with reporters on Friday, December 27, noting that conversations with former Cleveland Cavaliers forward and current Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James impacted his decisions to be more vocal and more strongly exert his influence in dealings with the Browns.
“He’s seen everything on the sports side of it, and his advice has been very valuable … Just being able to be around him and learn from him has been very useful these last couple years,” Garrett said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Definitely using my platform and using my voice to my benefit and to my team’s benefit has been crucial.”
Myles Garrett Issued Ultimatum to Browns About Winning Next Season
GettyCleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
Garrett recently used his voice on his platform more loudly and with more strength than perhaps ever before, when he sent a message to the front office that it either needs to construct a winner in 2025 that can sustain for years or he will demand a trade out of Cleveland — the only city in which he has ever played since joining the league.
“As uncertain as it is from the outside looking in, it’s uncertain for us as well,” Garrett said during a December 20 press conference. “There’s got to be a plan of action and just got to know where things are going.”
“I want to win, and I want the Browns to be able to put me and us in position to win. And I’m not trying to rebuild, I’m trying to win right now,” Garrett, who will play next season at 29 years old, continued. “I want that to be apparent when the season’s over and we have those discussions. I want them to be able to illuminate that for me, illustrate that for me, so that can be something I can see in the near future — [because] that’s all we want to do.”
Browns Could Run Myles Garrett Off by Bringing Back Deshaun Watson as Starting QB in 2025
GettyDefensive end Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns announced a restructuring of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract on Friday, which indicates that he will return in 2025 in some capacity. If it is as the starter, Cleveland could run the risk of Garrett asking out ahead of the mid-season trade deadline.
Watson has started just 19 games across three seasons (9-10) missing 11 contests in 2022 due to a suspension as well as 11 and 10 outings in 2023 and 2024 because of shoulder and Achilles injuries, respectively.
Garrett has three seasons remaining on a five-year, $125 million contract. However, he would probably command multiple first-round picks in a trade, which could be a path the Browns choose to travel if making the playoffs in 2025 looks like a long shot come the middle of next year.
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