In a statement, the Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett has requested to be traded away from the Cleveland Browns.
Browns Defensive Star Requests Trade
Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, requested a trade away from the Cleveland Browns in a personal statement released Monday morning. Garrett sighted his desire to win and compete at the highest level and his want to compete for a Super Bowl.
“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 more today more than ever,” Garrett said in his statement. “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 I am today.”
“While I’ve loved calling this city my home,” Garrett continued. “My desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for a Super Bowl.”
The trade requests should come as no surprise to the Browns organization as Garrett hinted at the possibility after another frustrating season with the Browns. While talking to the media at the end of the regular season, Garrett expressed that he would not be interested in going through a rebuild with the Browns.
“I want to win,” Garrett told reporters at the end of the season. “I want the Browns to put me and us in a position to win. I’m not trying to rebuild, I’m trying to win right now. There has gotta be a plan of action, and just gotta know where things are going.”
The Browns have made the playoffs twice during Garrett’s eight-year tenure with the team. They made it past the wild card round once in 2021 after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland made the playoffs in 2023 before being destroyed in the wild-card round by the Houston Texans.
Garrett has been one of the premier defensive players in the league since being drafted by the Browns. He is a four-time first-team All-Pro selection, a six-time Pro Bowler with a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023, and is a finalist for the award in 2024 after another stellar season. He is also the youngest player in NFL history to record 100 sacks. Garrett has had at least ten or more sacks in seven straight seasons.
What could Cleveland get for Myles Garrett?
The Cleveland Browns will be able to get a game-changing trade package for Garrett if he is indeed dealt. Pass rushers are a premium in the NFL, and Garrett is arguably the best player in the entire league. The conversation would have to start with multiple first-round picks for the Browns, and even a couple of players would have to be added to the deal. However, the Browns have made it clear they are not going to trade Garrett. Browns General Manager Andrew Berry told reporters he would tell anyone who reached out to trade for Garrett that he was not interested.
Any playoff team should be calling the Browns right now, checking in on Garrett. Those teams would be more willing to part with late first-round picks than maybe a fringe playoff team. It is also important to know Garrett could find ways to force a trade to a place of his liking. However, it looks like the Browns are going to have a long offseason. They have pressing issues at the quarterback position and now their best player wants out.
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