The Cleveland Browns aren’t ready to let go of Myles Garrett just yet.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry insisted on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that, despite Garrett’s trade request, the team has no intention of dealing him.
“We can’t imagine a situation where not having Myles as a part of the organization is best for the Browns,” Berry said, via ESPN.
“We don’t have an interest in trading Myles.”
Garrett officially requested a trade away from Cleveland ahead of the Super Bowl. Garrett also reached out to LeBron James to talk about that decision and leaving Cleveland. James famously left the Cleveland Cavaliers twice in his NBA career.
The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year has spent his entire career with the Browns after they took him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2017. He had 14 sacks and a career-high 40 tackles this season.
Garrett said that, when he made the trade request, he wanted out so he can “compete for and win a Super Bowl.” He said simply that he didn’t like the “trajectory of the team.”
“I just don’t think we’re aligned on where the team is going in the near future,” he said.
The Browns are under no obligation to trade Garrett. He signed a five-year, $125 million extension with the team in 2020, which will keep him with the franchise through the 2026 campaign. While he didn’t get into how many people have called about making a deal for Garrett, Berry said he understands the Garrett’s frustration.
After all, Cleveland went just 3-14 last season — which was their worst outing since their winless campaign in 2017 when Garrett was a rookie.
“I’d say the big thing we are aligned on is everyone wants to win,” Berry said. “Everybody’s frustrated with last year. I think where you can have a difference of opinion is the approach that it takes and some of the hard decisions that have to be made as you transition forward. But like I said, our perspective is we’re going to do the things to improve the team and one of the things that is very important is having Myles as part of the organization.”
