Myles Garrett cited a desire to win as the reason he requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns last month, but the former Defensive Player of the Year suddenly has a much different opinion of his current team.
Garrett issued a statement on Feb. 3 saying he had enjoyed his time in Cleveland but wanted to play for a team with a chance to contend for a Super Bowl. The Browns maintained all along that they had no intention of trading their best player. Garrett then reportedly threatened to take drastic steps if the team did not accommodate his request.
That was all just before Garrett signed an extension that made him by far the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Yet, Garrett still insisted at his news conference on Friday that his No. 1 priority is winning.
“I think the fans will see my heart is in the right place. It’s never been about money,” Garrett told reporters. “It’s always been about winning. … If it’s about the money, I could just pack it in and not give my best effort. I plan to be the best player possible, best leader possible, and go out and dominate on Sundays.”
As you might expect, fans roasted Garrett over his comments:
*picks up phone for interview*
— Arrowhead Live (@ArrowheadLive) March 14, 2025
“Yeah it was never about the money” pic.twitter.com/QBYq1rlys1
“It’s never been about money” pic.twitter.com/fVnO8crJVI
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) March 14, 2025
WHAT pic.twitter.com/2PBYbwhjkn
— how bout those CHIEFS (@hbtCHIEFS) March 14, 2025
“It's never been about money. It's always been about winning."
— Portersburgh (@PortersBurgh) March 14, 2025
– Myles Garrett. https://t.co/ro02J3SPU7 pic.twitter.com/gMVCUBfiIt
Myles Garrett 🤨 pic.twitter.com/NrsbMGoV5F
— just1n (@just1nvest) March 14, 2025
The timeline of events is what makes Garrett’s claim so laughable. We get it — he wants fans to know he still plans on giving it his all and doing everything he can to help the Browns win. That can still be true even if the contract offer was the main reason Garrett chose to remain in Cleveland.
If Garrett genuinely wanted a trade to give himself the best chance to win the Super Bowl, that means he changed his mind because of money. If his trade demand was merely a negotiating tactic, it was still about the money.
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. Few players are capable of impacting a game the way he can, and that is unlikely to change in the near future.
Between the recent unflattering report we heard about Garrett and the reaction to his comments on Friday, the 29-year-old should be plenty motivated to live up to his record deal.
