Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry began the offseason by committing to keeping former Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett on the team. But then, just days later, Garrett threw the organization a curveball by officially requesting a trade. Berry doubled down on his initial stance, insisting the Browns would not move the NFL’s premier defensive end, while Garrett doubled down on his desire to leave Cleveland.
The Browns were hoping that Garrett was bluffing. Perhaps using the trade request as a negotiating tactic for a new extension with the team. However, Garrett is not bluffing. The four-time All-Pro confirmed that he is “not open to” a new contract with the Browns, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com
In fact, “Garrett and his camp have slammed the door shut on negotiations” with the team.
The Browns intended to make a Hail Mary offer to the eight-year veteran in an effort to retain his services moving forward. The hope was that Cleveland could present Garrett with such a massive contract he’d be unable to turn it down. But any optimism surrounding the Future Hall of Famer’s return to the Browns in 2025 has now evaporated as the organization slowly comes to terms with the fact that they’ll be losing their best player this offseason.
Myles Garrett refuses to take the field for the Browns again
Making an unfortunate situation even worse, the Browns face a $36 million dead cap hit if they trade Garrett. That’s compared to the $19.7 million he’d count against the cap if he was on the team in 2025. The Browns are already in a dire financial situation. The team is nearly $23 million over the salary cap.
If Cleveland ultimately decides to trade Garrett, as it seems they’re going to be forced to do, waiting until June 1 to move the player makes the most sense. A post-June 1 trade would allow the Browns to split Garrett’s $36 million dead cap hit over two seasons. If the team, for some reason, trades him before then, the entire $36 million counts toward 2025. And, as mentioned, Cleveland is already facing a brutal salary cap situation this season.
On the bright side, the Browns hold the second overall pick in the upcoming draft. The team has several options. Cleveland could take one of the two first-round quarterback prospects available, which would help in the recovery from the miserable contract it gifted Deshaun Watson in 2022 by allowing the Browns to start a passer on a rookie contract until Watson’s deal expires. The team could also choose to grab DE Abdul Carter as a potential replacement for Garrett, assuming the Titans don’t select the Penn State product first overall. Or Berry could move back, stockpiling picks that the Browns sorely need to fill a number of roster holes.
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