Scott Galvin-Imagn Images.
Myles Garrett is finished with the Cleveland Browns, at least in his estimation.
Bombshell! NFL’s Best Defensive Player Requests Trade.
The superstar defender, considered by many the best in the NFL, requested a trade on Monday, just five weeks before player movement gets hot and heavy via free agency. Garrett penned a note and posted it to social media, scheduling the end of his Browns career as early as this offseason.
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“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 today more than ever. 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 that I am today,” Garrett wrote.
The eventual trade price, assuming the Browns don’t play hardball with Garrett, will be truly astronomical. Even at age 29, some team will pay at least 1st-Round pick for Garrett and probably a lot more.
Garrett then cut to the chase, “While I’ve loved calling this city my home, 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 and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided trade context, likening Garrett’s request to fellow pass rusher Khalil Mack’s in 2018: “A potential trade comp: When 27-year-old Khalil Mack was traded from Oakland to Chicago, the Bears gave up two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick for Mack, a second-round pick, and a conditional fifth-round pick. The 29-year-old Myles Garrett, coming off a 14-sack season, now has requested a trade.”
Six days ago, Browns’ general manager Andrew Berry swatted away trade rumors involving Garrett. “We feel really good about Myles obviously as a big piece of our future. We’re looking forward to him being on the field. Like I said in my (early January) press conference, we envision him going from Cleveland to Canton when his career is over,” Berry told reporters.
“I think you can assume that we do anticipate at some point doing a third contract with Myles. We want him to retire here,” he added.
Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry watches the team warm up before an NFL preseason football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. © Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK.
Now, those comments feel null and void as Berry will presumably be forced to accommodate Garrett’s request.
Garrett is a six-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023.
