Getty Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
Myles Garrett is officially back, with it being reported on Wednesday that the NFL would be reinstating the Cleveland Browns star defensive end after a lengthy ban.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport initially reported the reinstatement, which was quickly followed up with a statement by the Browns, welcoming back Garrett.
“We welcome Myles back to our organization with open arms,” said Browns EVP of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. “We know he is grateful to be reinstated, eager to put the past behind him and continue to evolve and grow as a leader. We look forward to having his strong positive presence back as a teammate, player and person in our community.”
Garrett celebrated his reinstatement with a John Wick screenshot on Twitter, saying: “But now yeah, I’M THINKING I’M BACK!!!”
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield also welcomed Garrett back with a tweet.
@MylesLGarrett welcome back big fella!!!
Myles Garrett Expressed Remorse Over Helmet-Swinging Attack
Garrett was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate before he struck Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph over the head with his own helmet, inciting chaos during the team’s Week 11 matchup.
“Last night, I made a terrible mistake,” Garrett said in a statement following the incident. “I lost my cool and what I did was selfish and unacceptable. I know that we are all responsible for our actions and I can only prove my true character through my actions moving forward. I want to apologize to Mason Rudolph, my teammates, our entire organization, our fans and to the NFL. I know I have to be accountable for what happened, learn from my mistake and I fully intend to do so.”
Garrett had met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other officials on Monday to discuss his reinstatement. Considering the quick turnaround, the meeting must have gone well, with Goodell seeing what he needed from Garrett to be comfortable enough to put him back on the field. Garrett can now participate in the Browns offseason workouts, which are set to begin in early April.
Myles Garrett Paid Huge Price for Actions
GettyBrowns defensive end Myles Garrett
Garrett missed the final six games of the season, was fined $45,623 in addition to the whopping $1.14 million in lost game checks. Garrett’s six-game ban was behind only Vontaze Burfict — a notorious repeat offender — for an on-field incident.
And it wasn’t just Garrett who was hit with some punishment. Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi was suspended a game for his role and Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey for two after his appeal knocked off a game from his ban. In addition, both teams were fined $250,000 each, sending a clear message on the events that transpired.
“Anything that is outside the game is problematic to us. And there’s no place for that in the game. It’s completely outside of football. It’s not an incorrect tackling technique or anything else. It’s just completely outside the game of football,” Goodell said in a podcast interview with Gary Myers of OTG. “And so in one way, that elevates it and it’s different circumstances.
“It’s just not Myles Garrett here. Obviously he was the starting [point] but we suspended three different players in that,” Goodell added. “It’s probably, I would say, the most significant discipline we’ve had from any single incident in our history, although we don’t keep that stat, but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t.”
Garrett has remained ready for a return to the field. The towering pass-rusher has shared workout videos this offseason. His latest post showed off his routine with the caption: “Time to get to work.”
During Garrett’s suspension, Browns safety Damarious Randall shared an interesting tidbit on Garrett.
“He actually told me that he works out five times a day,” Randall told the Akron Beacon-Journal. “I was just messing around with him, and I was just like, ‘Hey, if they said you could come back and play this Sunday, would you be ready?’ He was like, ‘Bro, I would be more than ready.’”
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