BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Myles Garrett signed his new mega contract extension Friday.
With special dinosaur themed cupcakes and miniature dinosaurs lined up, Garrett fielded questions about why he changed his mind with his family, Haslam Sports Group partner JW Johnson, EVP of football operations and GM Andrew Berry, head coach Levin Stefanski as well as his agent Nicole Lynn all looking on.
Here’s the top Brownie Bites from the six-time Pro Bowler and presumed future Hall of Famer Friday morning.
Change of heart – Garrett went from taking a blowtorch to the Browns for their inability to win to signing a record extension through 2030 at a record for a non-quarterback $40 million per year average. “I'm here, so I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon and I'm willing to help however I can to get the right pieces here to make the changes we need to win games and to go deep in the playoffs and win a championship,” Garrett said.
No regrets – Garrett does not regret the trade request or the criticism he levied at the Browns. “I think I had some frustration and I feel like that helped us grow and have conversations that were difficult but needed to be had,” Garrett said. “And that created a little bit more discourse, helped build some relationships and reaffirmed them and now I feel like we’re in a better place and now we can move on and grow from there.” In the end, the business of football prevailed. The Browns stood firm and refused to entertain trading Garrett. They just paid him instead. “I don't regret it,” Garrett said. “I mean I feel like I went out and earned it by playing the best brand of ball that I know possible and she went on in and asked and they delivered and I plan to deliver week in and week out during the season, and I think that's just how that kind of give and take goes.”
Someone had to say it – Garrett shouldn’t regret anything. He’s now been paid to be happy by the Browns, who continue to be a mismanaged franchise that consistently fields an inferior product for loyal fans who fought to get the franchise back after it left in 1996 only to be rewarded with just four winning seasons in 26 years. “I think the fans will see that my heart's in the right place,” Garrett said. “It's never been about money, it's always been about winning and that's where my frustration lies.” It is about time someone called the Browns out for their ineptitude and failure. At the heart of Garrett’s frustration is the fact the franchise is 53-78-1 since he was selected first overall in 2017. “From day one I've always said that I've wanted to bring a championship to Northeast Ohio, so that doesn't change my stance,” Garrett said, “and I'm just going to continue to turn those opinions around or reinforce those opinions by going out and doing what I've always done, going out and make plays. Being a great teammate, great leader, and being the best person I could be on this field and off the field for the Cleveland Browns.”
Leading man – With the record contract comes the expectation Garrett will take on a greater leadership role on and ff the field. “Continue to be the person that I have been, and I think just being that constant leader,” Garrett said. “I don't think you can put a dollar sign on that at any time. Leaders come from guys who are undrafted to guys who are the highest paid. It doesn't take a playmaker to be a leader, nor does it take, like I said, a dollar sign. So continue to learn to be more and more a leader every year and every day.”
Hole to fill – Until the Browns find a franchise quarterback, they’re dead where they stand. Garrett knows it, and the failure at that position contributed to his trade request. “Just leaning on AB [Berry] and his expertise and knowing that he has a plan on what this team and this offense will look like going forward and he's going to put the best offense possible out there. He's going to get a QB that we all continue to have faith in and we're going to go out and do our thing on defense.” Deshaun Watson likely has seen his last game as a Brown. Kenny Pickett was acquired from the Eagles but Berry is still shopping for more veteran help. Then there’s the draft and that No. 2 overall pick.
Cleveland to Canton – Garrett already has a Hall of Fame resume, but the biggest prize will be the hardest to achieve for a franchise that has never even made a Super Bowl let alone played for the chance to make one in over 30 years. “That's always been my plan from the very beginning,” Garrett said. “I've wanted to stay with the team that I was drafted with and I've always, like I said before, I wanted to bring a championship here, so that's something that's meant a lot to me even when I was coming in from high school to college, being that one team guy and having a place that feels like home that you ingrained yourself in the community. And the Canton part sounds great. Players want to be in the hall of fame, that's a tremendous individual reward, or reward. But communities and cities remember championships, and that's what I want to do.”
Minority stake – Garrett already owns a minority stake in the Cavaliers and also serves as a team ambassador for Cleveland’s NBA franchise. With a significant raise in hand, could Garrett buy a bigger piece of the Cavs? “I wasn't really thinking about the business aspect of accepting this deal and trying to invest more into minority ownership,” Garrett said. “I was really focused on doing the best thing for us, my family, for my team, and ultimately for the Browns and all this stuff, other business endeavors and ordeals can come a bit later
