Cleveland Browns star pass-rusher and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett suggested as recently as last month that general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski had a club that finished this season at 3-14 closer to competing for a Super Bowl title “than some may think we are.” Berry then said last week he wouldn’t trade Garrett this offseason for even a return that included two first-round draft picks.
It appears the situation changed dramatically ahead of the Super Bowl.
Via a statement shared by ESPN and other outlets on Monday morning, Garrett echoed comments previously offered by Berry while revealing that he’s asked the Browns for a trade.
“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,” Garrett said. “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.”
Garrett is under contract through the 2026 season and first became the subject of trade rumors this past fall before 2024 Week 1 starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in October. Watson later tore the Achilles again during his recovery, and many believe he’s taken the last meaningful snap of his Cleveland career.
Stories published throughout January indicated that Cleveland would hold onto Garrett and look to sign a proven bridge option such as Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons or Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets to serve as a short-term replacement for Watson in an attempt to make the 2025 Browns a potential playoff team. Monday’s developments left no doubt that Garrett now thinks Cleveland isn’t close to winning anything of note with Berry and Stefanski running the show.
Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand mentioned that Garrett did the Browns “no favors” by making his trade request public. Meanwhile, NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic hinted that Cleveland won’t get multiple first-round picks in return for Garrett’s services.
According to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, the Browns “do not intend” to trade Garrett anytime soon:
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