Myles Garrett was the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He proved to be the right choice for the Cleveland Browns, as the star defensive end is arguably the best defensive player in the NFL.
Garrett is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and has had another solid year. However, he will be 29 years old by the end of December and has made it clear that he does not want to be a part of another rebuild in Cleveland.
Myles Garrett Puts Pressure on the Browns
The Browns are 3-11, and this season has been a disaster for the team. Garrett recently expressed his desire to play winning football and has pressured Cleveland with his comments.
“I’m not trying to rebuild,” Garrett said, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “I’m trying to win right now. And I want that to be apparent when the season is over, and we have those discussions. I want them to be able to illuminate and illustrate that for me so that it can be something I can see in the near future. Because that’s all we want to do.”
The Browns could potentially draft a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, but winning with a rookie is hard. Garrett knows the direction the franchise is heading, and his latest comments could change the AFC North team’s plans for the offseason.
Here’s video of Myles Garrett not holding back about his desire to finish his career in Cleveland, BUT he wants to win and is not interested in having #Browns go through another roster rebuild pic.twitter.com/2itSo0UAur
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) December 20, 2024
The Texas A&M product is in the eighth season of his career and is already a five-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and has won the Defensive Player of the Year award once. Multiple teams around the league would offer a lot if he asked to get traded by the Browns, which is why Cleveland’s front office has to act urgently.
Garrett has 11.0 sacks, 38 total tackles, 25 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles in 14 games this season. Despite his brilliance, the Browns allow 25.4 points per game, which could be attributed to the offense’s failures.
Cleveland made the playoffs last year, thanks to Joe Flacco and a stellar defense. If the team’s quarterback play improves, Garrett and Co. could turn the Browns into a contender.
The star defensive player has often expressed his desire to finish his career in Cleveland, but if the team doesn’t align with his views, he could potentially depart earlier than expected. Garrett has only two years left on his deal, so the Browns should make a quick decision regarding his future with the team.
Browns Are Likely To Run It Back With Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He did not play well at all before his injury, which may have impacted the morale of the defense.
Jameis Winston replaced Watson, and he initially performed quite well. The team defeated the Baltimore Ravens in his first game as the starter, and the defense also reminded everyone why they are the backbone of this team.
However, Winston was recently benched, proving that the Browns do not have an answer at the quarterback position. Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start for Cleveland in Week 16, but with what we have seen from him so far (12 games and three starts), the early returns from the fifth-round player don’t look like a franchise quarterback.
As a result, the Browns may try another year with Watson as the quarterback, especially given contractual obligations. Their only hope outside of a hit in the NFL Draft is that the 29-year-old quarterback could miraculously start playing like he did for Houston. If Watson continues to struggle, the team could be forced to part with multiple star players, including Garrett, as they will go on a rebuild with a rookie.