During the Cleveland Brown's brutal 32 -13 week eight loss to the New England Patriots, Myles Garrett recorded five sacks, a personal and franchise record. Despite this, the Browns had no chance of winning the game after the Patriots scored 21 points in the third quarter alone. In frustration, Garrett slammed his helmet on the sideline after being pulled out of the game in the fourth quarter.
This has been a repetitive theme for the Browns this season. Sitting at 2-6 and last in the American Football Conference North, the Browns look completely helpless. Garrett has expressed his frustration with the season so far, saying, “I’d throw the whole performance away for a win,” in a press conference after Sunday’s painful loss. However, this attitude is hard to take seriously from a player who made it clear he doesn’t care about winning.
In February, he publicly requested a trade from the Browns in an attempt to chase a championship.
“The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton; it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl,” he said in an official statement. Calling the Browns' 3-14 season “more disappointing” than their infamous 0-16 season, Garrett made it clear he wasn’t staying in Cleveland for another rebuild.
In March, money talked and Garrett was quieted by a four-year, $123.5 million contract to stay in Cleveland. At the time, this made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. As Alex Kaufman from Sports Illustrated said, “In other words, he doesn't want to really be here, but we (the Browns) paid him so he's willing to suck it up.”
Since then, Garrett’s attitude has reflected exactly that. After the Brown’s week six loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, analyst Anthony Rizzo didn’t hold back on Garrett and his situation, saying, “I don’t feel bad for Myles Garrett. Stop with this crap,” Rizzo said, “He’s not a leader. He’s a hired gun, here for money and he wanted to leave your city and team, end of story.”
The minute Garrett agreed to his contract, he knew exactly what he was signing up for, and I don’t feel bad for him.
Garrett recorded zero sacks, zero solo tackles and zero QB hits against the Steelers. The game was only 9-3 at halftime, but the team’s supposed superstar was nowhere to be found. Garrett also didn’t record any sacks in the losing games to the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings, only totaling five tackles between the two games.
I’m not arguing Garrett isn’t a talented player. He was the first Browns player to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, and he is a six-time Pro-Bowler. Talent isn’t the issue; attitude is. Garrett decided to let his career die in Cleveland because of money. He dug his grave, and he has to lie in it.
Fans argue Garrett deserves better, or that a player of his caliber deserves to be playing for a Super Bowl contender. However, Garrett knew what he was signing up for with the Browns--a team “stuck in neutral,” coming off a 3-14 season with little momentum and a revolving door at quarterback. The Browns went from intending to start Kenny Pickett at quarterback, to Joe Flacco and finally starting rookie Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel has been mediocre at best, with a 1-3 record, 680 passing yards and five total touchdowns as the starter.
This isn’t bad luck. Hall of Famer defensive end Jared Allen reiterated this saying, “You had your chance, and you chose the money … you knew this was what you were getting.”
Myles Garrett’s massive contract and decision to stay in Cleveland have nothing to do with loyalty or building a winning culture. While fans watch his sideline temper tantrums as the Browns fall below .500, they shouldn’t feel sympathetic. Some players take pay-cuts to chase Super Bowls. Garrett took the cash, and he has to live with the consequences.
Abby Shriver is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email them at as064024@ohio.edu
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