Myles Garrett tried to force his way out of the Cleveland Browns organization last offseason via trade before leveraging that request into a $160 million extension, but his recent behavior and the way the market has changed in the approximately one year since indicate that more demands may be coming.
Garrett bailed on a team minicamp this week that runs through NFL draft day on Thursday and has not yet spoken with the team’s new head coach, according to Todd Monken himself. Garrett also opted out of the opening phase of the Browns’ offseason workout program earlier in April.
General manager Andrew Berry put voice to Garrett’s absence in and around team facilities, even despite the defensive end’s presence at a recent Cleveland Cavaliers game in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs, brushing it off as no big deal.
However, there is also the new contract that Houston Texas edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. just inked, which pays him $50 million annually over a three-year extension ($134 million guaranteed).
That is $10 million more per season that Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, received on his latest extension, which ties him to Cleveland through the 2030 campaign when he will play at 35 years old.
Evan Cohen of ESPN contended on the Monday, April 21 edition of “UnSportsmanLike” that all the facts/circumstances of this offseason will coalesce and result in Garrett demanding yet another massive pay increase from the Browns before his first one even sets in.
“I now know what Myles Garrett was doing, and is doing. … Myles Garrett clearly wants a new contract, even though he just got a new contract,” Cohen said. “He’s gonna force them to give him another new contract.”
Will Anderson Jr. Among 5 Pass-Rushers Now Earning More Annually Than Myles Garrett
GettyDefensive end Will Anderson Jr. of the Houston Texans.
The nature of the NFL salary market is that great players set new high watermarks and other, usually younger, quality performers come along a year or two later and continue pushing the top end of the pay scale for their positions even higher.
All of that coincides with the salary cap generally trending upward via new television/streaming deals and different forms of monetization by the league office.
That is why a player like Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has a 1-2 record in two career playoff appearances, earns $10 million more annually right now than three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
That said, since Garrett secured his $40 million annually just one offseason back, five players including Danielle Hunter of the Texans, TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions, Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers and now Anderson in Houston have inked deals with larger annual average salary figures.
Myles Garrett Best Defensive Player in NFL
GettyDefensive end Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.
Garrett won his second DPOY award in 2025, this time unanimously, after setting the single-season record with 23 sacks and leading the league in tackles for loss for the second consecutive campaign with a career-high 33 of them.
The superstar defensive end, who is also the most complete player at his position and a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer if he were to retire tomorrow, probably won’t sign another big deal after his current extension runs out.
That isn’t to say Garrett may not rework the $160 million agreement at some point in the next few seasons to add guaranteed money, years and/or some extra perks on top of it. But he is the best defensive player in the NFL right now, and probably the most impactful non-quarterback in the entire league.
Garrett has stated emphatically that he wants to win at some point before his NFL tenure is through, and in nine years with the Browns he has made just two playoff appearances and won just a single postseason game.
Cleveland looks no closer to being truly competitive offensively, even despite reconstructing the offensive line, adding running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. last year as rookies and holding three picks inside the top 39 in this year’s draft, including two in the first round.
It is probably going to be another two seasons before the Browns even sniff legitimate playoff contention, so if they want to keep Garrett happy and in Northeast Ohio, and another raise is what it takes, Berry and company will likely be inclined to capitulate.
Myles Garrett Expected to Make Absurd Demand of Browns 1 Year After $160 Million Deal