Myles Garrett has been one of the most dominant players in the NFL throughout his career, and some have wondered if the Cleveland Browns should consider trading him in order to accelerate their rebuild. General manager Andrew Berry insists there is no scenario where that is going to happen.
While speaking with reporters at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Tuesday, Berry was asked about the possibility of trading Garrett to stock up on draft assets. When a reporter asked if he would turn down multiple first-round picks for the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Berry had a very blunt response.
“Correct. You can put that on the record,” Berry said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Garrett has two years remaining on the 5-year, $125 million extension he signed with the Browns in 2020. His $25 million average annual salary ranks fifth among edge rushers. Berry said he would never go into specifics about contracts in public, but he made it very clear the Browns want to keep Garrett beyond 2026.
“I don’t want to go into contract discussions. I wouldn’t do that publicly. But I think you can assume that we do anticipate at some point doing a third contract with Myles. We want him to retire here,” Berry added.
San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa is the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL at $34 million per year, so it would not be a surprise if Garrett seeks a raise.
Garrett has 102.5 sacks in eight NFL seasons. He had 14 sacks in each of the last two seasons and 16 in each of the two seasons before that.
The Browns finished 3-14 this season, and Garrett voiced some of his frustrations with the team. That led to speculation that he could seek a trade. However, the former No. 1 overall pick made some comments more recently that should give Browns fans reason for optimism.