CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – With his most difficult challenge of 2020 behind him, Myles Garrett is ready to get back to what he does best: beating offensive linemen and chasing down quarterbacks
Garrett, one of the NFL’s most prolific pass rushers, was sidelined for nearly three weeks after contracting COVID-19.
He lost his sense of smell for two weeks, get headaches, body aches and fever among other symptoms.
“I was in pain,” Garrett said Friday. “It wasn’t great.”
Garrett was surprised to learn he tested positive on Nov. 20 and is unsure how he contracted the virus that has infected millions across the globe and killed over 275,000 here in the United States because no one in his inner circle tested positive.
“It is kind of worrisome because I do not know if I got it here, I do not know if I got it in the game, I do not really go out to eat, I try to stay away from that and I try to eat at home,” Garrett said.
After being activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday and practicing for three days, he’s starting to feel like himself again.
“I feel better,” Garrett said. “It was not the greatest time. I was not one of those asymptomatic cases, even though leading up to it I thought I would be. My parents had it. It kicked their butt. I had it. It kicked my butt. Now, I am back.”
Garrett returns in time as the Browns face their toughest test in weeks Sunday in the 8-3 Tennessee Titans whose offense ranks sixth in points scored, yards and rushing per game and is led by the NFL’s rushing leader and defending rushing champion Derrick Henry.
Although Garrett has put the illness behind him and been cleared medically, the Browns will keep a close eye on him Sunday.
“He looks really good,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “As you’d expect he’s excited. We’ll just monitor him throughout the game and make sure he’s ready to go and if we need to give him a blow, we’ll give him a blow.”
After being forced to miss the last two games, Garrett currently ranks third in the NFL in sacks with 9 1/2 behind Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt (11.0) and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (10.0). His four forced fumbles remain tied for the league lead.
Garrett expects he’ll be able to pick up where he left off.
“I'm not here to make a cameo appearance or a second-rate arrival,” Garrett said. “I'm here to do the job that I was doing before. I don't think there will be any drop-off.”
While sick Garrett wasn’t able to do much in the way of physical activity and he admitted Friday that he was worried about a potential heart problem, which has affected some COVID-19 patients.
“If my lungs are a little bit heavy, if I am tired or if anything happens where I am out of breath, I will fight through that, but there is nothing you can do with the heart,” Garrett said. “You can’t play with that, and there is no getting around it.”
Garrett has been assured by doctors that he is in the clear and doesn’t have anything to worry about concerning his heart going forward.
“They haven’t told me that I’ll have to worry about anything, really,” Garrett said. “They told me that there was nothing abnormal about my heart or my lungs. I am feeling as normal as I am going to. Really, I am just treating it as if I am picking up right where I left off. None of this business that has been going on through 2020 is going to stop me from trying to put my best foot forward, and these guys deserve it.
“If we are going to make any kind of push towards the playoffs and a run at it, then I have to just keep on going and put the team first.”
