Getty Browns defensive end Myles Garrett
The Cleveland Browns are working on a long-term extension for star defensive end Myles Garrett that will make him a very wealthy man.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first reported the extension talks between Garrett and the Browns. Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in 2017, is one of the most impactful pass-rushers in the league, notching 30.5 sacks in 37 career games.
Garrett was on track for a second Pro Bowl season with 10 sacks last year, but was hit with an indefinite suspension in Week 11 after he ripped off the helmet of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and hit him over the head with it. Garrett sat out the final six games of the Browns season with the suspension, but was reinstated this offseason.
The Browns executed Garrett’s fifth-year option this offseason, meaning he has two years left on his deal before hitting free agency. But with an extension in place, the Browns would be giving their pass-rusher a well-deserved raise a little early, locking him in for the foreseeable future.
Extensions, especially for a prized position like a pass-rusher, keep seeing the bar reset with new mega-deals. My getting ahead on Garrett, it may save the Browns space down the line for extensions for players like Denzel Ward, Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb.
Myles Garrett Expected to be Highest Paid at Position
GettyCleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
Bears linebacker Khalil Mack is currently the highest edge-rusher in the league in terms of average annual value at $23.5 million. Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence and Kansas City’s Frank Clark both are over the $20 million mark as well.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport expressed earlier this offseason that he feels Garrett could be the first player to go over the $25 million mark per season.
#Browns GM Andrew Berry told RapSheet + Friends (t.co/CiKkY8tVHv) that he hopes Myles Garrett is with the #Browns for years to come. Why a long-term extension makes sense 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
Browns general manager Andrew Berry has not been keen on speaking directly about the negotiations, but was clear that he sees Garrett as a long-term member of the Browns.
“We do see Myles as a long-term member and pillar in our organization,” general manager Andrew Berry told 105.7 the Fan Baltimore last month. “Great player, great person. Obviously, he did make a mistake last year that he’s learned from. But our confidence in and faith in Myles has not wavered and we’re looking to seeing what he does this year and certainly for years to come.”
Myles Garrett Ready to Get Back on Track
When Garrett returns to the field he’ll have to deal with the talk surrounding the incident with Rudolph last season — something he is eager to put behind him. In his first interview following his reinstatement, Garrett doubled-down on his claim that Rudolph called him a racial slur, sparking his helmet-swinging attack. However, that’s something he regrets and won’t be talking about it anymore.
“I dropped the ball there,” Garrett told The Athletic’s Tom Reed. “[My father] was right. Have your say some other day. That’s the best way to put it. Got to be smart with what you say and when you say it.”
Garrett then promised that he was done talking about the incident and would go with “next question” when he is asked about it.
Browns new defensive coordinator Joe Woods feels like his star pass-rusher is in a “good place.”
“I think Myles has the right mindset in terms of wanting to be MVP and all of that, but we just need him to be the best player for us that he can be, and whatever happens, happens,” Woods said in a recent conference call, via NFL.com. “Right now, I think he is in a good place.”
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