Browns star grew up before our eyes but it was time to move on
Myles Garrett had become the face of the Cleveland Browns. He was supposed to retire a Brown and enter the Hall of Fame down the road in Canton. If you are a young Browns fan you grew up with the high flying defensive edge rusher. To the older generation of Cleveland fans, Garrett was special too. Maybe he could help lead their favorite team to that all elusive Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen in his nine year stint in Cleveland. Maybe that was or wasn’t a factor in the Browns decision making when it came to their star player. Regardless, Garrett was traded this week from the Browns to the LA Rams in a decision that caught many fans off guard.. There’s a lot to unpack with this story.
When you look up Garrett’s Instagram account he goes by #flash_garrett and his own bio reads “Athlete… My life is my message”. Garrett’s message over the years he was a member of the Browns was a confusing mixed bag of thoughts and ideas. The “flash” in his name referenced the old super hero Flash Gordon, who Garrett had suggested he was more like because he had to overcome the pressures of playing in the NFL, like Flash did in the Justice League in the comic book world.
He will go down as one of the very best to play the game of football as a Brown and in the NFL for that matter. He’s a shoe-in as a first ballot Hall of Famer when his time arrives. However, he was also a controversial figure and when he shared messages out to the world (via social media posts, interviews, and press conferences) there were more questions than answers made.
Just over a year ago, Garrett got a contract extension from the Browns. At the time everyone was a bit surprised by the move as we’d been hearing from the former No. 1 draft pick of the 2017 NFL Draft that he wanted out of Cleveland to go play for a better team. He even went on a media circus blitz during the Super Bowl week in New Orleans trying to convince Cleveland to let him go. That didn’t happen and he ended up taking the money to stay in town.
Initially, when Garrett came to the NFL he had several other hobbies outside of football, like creating poetry and writing children’s books about dinosaurs. He would talk about compassion and promote peace in his social media posts. With that as the start up to his career it showed he wasn’t just about football so it shocked fans when he lost his marbles in the closing moments of a 2019 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In that defining moment of a young NFL star’s career, he went ballistic attacking the Steeler quarterback Mason Rudolph with a football helmet after reported words were exchanged between the two.
That peaceful and compassionate person image we had of him outside of football was shattered. He was indefinitely suspended at the time and missed the last six games of that season. He came back to start the 2020 season but it marked a big moment in his career.
These past nine years have been full of ups and downs with Garrett. There’s also been this underlying question about his leadership and what type of locker room guy he really was especially when the camera’s were off.
He had off the field issues especially when it came to driving a car too. Over the years he’s been caught for speeding on multiple occasions. He even had a horrific roll over accident back in 2021 where he wrecked his vehicle due to speeding.. But he continued to drive recklessly after getting a speeding ticket again this past season. I know some may not consider this type of reckless behavior to be an issue because they care more about what Garrett does on the field of play. However, I believe it points out the lack of leadership qualities that are necessary to really help a team. Garrett’s shenanigans over the years became a distraction to the team. Did it cause losses as a whole? Probably not, but it played a factor.
Despite the off the field problems, he still became the face of the franchise as the Browns defense continued to get better. However, that didn’t lead to wins. Statistically, he was amazing, breaking records left and right. He broke the season sack record this past season with 23. He had 10 sacks or more in eight straight seasons. Only in his rookie campaign did he have seven sacks. He collected an astounding 125.5 sacks in his Cleveland career.
But the victories were sparse even when Garrett was breaking records. This past season he scored five sacks in a game against the New England Patriots but the Browns lost the game by 20 points.
So when the Browns were approached by the Rams about trading Garrett, the team listened this time. A year ago, the team didn’t listen and were adamant that they planned on having Garrett as a member of the team for life.
The timing of this latest chapter and the trade have some criticizing the team. What Cleveland is getting in return for trading Garret is a part of that debate. Some say it’s not enough in what the Browns got in return. For the record the Browns are getting 3rd year player defensive edge Jared Verse and a 1st (2027), 2nd (2028) and 3rd round (2029) draft picks over the next three drafts.
I think the Browns couldn’t pass up this opportunity to strengthen their team long term. The Browns are prepared to open up a new domed stadium in 2029. Their sights are set on having a competitive and winning team by then. They’ve gathered some new young talent and adding more pieces to that mix like Verse, who will replace Garrett at that edge position just seems logical.
The bigger problem for the Browns continues to be who will be the franchise quarterback and help the team win. Some believe this trade gives Cleveland more opportunity to go after a potential new quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft. I’m still behind giving the second year player Shedeur Sanders that opportunity first.
Garrett grew up being a Cleveland Brown. If you think of anyone you know that grows up between the age of 21 and 31 they go through a lot of changes from how they think about life to starting a family.
It was time for a change and Garrett was ready. I think that most of us Browns fans are ready too.
I know the initial shock of the move was Earth shattering. But it happened and we would be wise to move forward. Go out and support this new Browns team that is brand new with a new coach in Todd Monken.
Garrett meant a lot to this organization, the city and the fans. He will definitely be missed. His messages were confusing at times and that leadership skill set wasn’t always there but he meant a lot to the pride that Browns fans carry universally and that took a hit with the trade.
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