Myles Garrett desires out of Cleveland.
The star defensive finish, who’s the NFL’s reigning Defensive Participant of the 12 months, has requested a commerce from the Browns after eight seasons.
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In a press release shared on Monday (February 3), Garrett cited a want to problem for the Tremendous Bowl as the explanation behind his determination.
“Whereas I’ve liked calling this metropolis my residence, my want to win and compete on the most important phases will not enable me to be complacent,” he wrote.
“The purpose was by no means to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has all the time been to compete for and win a Tremendous Bowl.”
Garrett’s commerce request ends months of hypothesis over his future, which ramped up in December when he made feedback about eager to know the group’s offseason plans, stating he was ‘not attempting to rebuild’.
The Browns completed the 2024 season with a 3-14 report, backside of the AFC North, and they’re a far cry from the Tremendous Bowl-challenging group that their star participant desires to be on.
In truth, in his eight years in Cleveland, the Browns have solely reached the playoffs twice.
And whereas Garrett has made his motivation for wanting to go away clear, Stephen A. Smith believes the blame for his commerce demand falls on the ft of quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“I am not stunned and I fully help Myles Garrett,” the ESPN analyst started, discussing the information on First Take.
“The Browns group, they have been to the playoffs two occasions within the final 5 years. That is the excellent news – and that is actually not that good.
“The actual dangerous information is that they have been to the playoffs twice within the final 22, 23 years. This can be a group that has not gotten it carried out.
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“The person who I blame probably the most sadly, respectfully, is Deshaun Watson.
“If Deshaun Watson had gone to Cleveland and balled the best way he was succesful, the best way he showcased how he may ball when he was a Houston Texan, Myles Garrett wouldn’t be asking for this commerce.
“He is asking for this commerce as a result of he is aware of Cleveland struggles to discover a quarterback. They’ve left all of it on the shoulders of their protection.
“There would not appear to be any aid or any assist in sight and he desires to be in a profitable scenario.
“This ain’t about something greater than the truth that you have gotten suspect manufacturing from the quarterback place and he is aware of the probabilities of profitable are slim to none.”
Cleveland guess massive on Watson again in 2022 after they traded six draft picks, together with three first-rounders, to amass the quarterback from Houston.
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The Browns additionally gave Watson a five-year, $230million contract upon arrival, the biggest assured deal in NFL historical past.
However their gamble has not paid off.
Watson has been common at finest, and has performed simply 19 video games throughout three seasons in Cleveland whereas being tormented by a string of well-documented off-field points.
He has a 9-10 report as a Browns starter, and has thrown simply 19 touchdowns for the franchise.
When the 29-year-old suffered an Achilles tear in Week 7 of 2024, the season-ending damage was cheered by a few of his personal followers inside Huntington Financial institution Subject.
The struggles in Cleveland are clear for all to see, and it is little shock {that a} participant of Garrett’s high quality desires to attempt one thing new.
He’s coming off his seventh straight double-digit sack season, and can remodel any protection that he joins.
Garrett has additionally earned 5 straight Professional Bowl bids, and 4 profession first-team All-Professional honors alongside his Defensive Participant of the 12 months crown.
In 2025, he can be trying so as to add a Tremendous Bowl to that spectacular record.
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