Myles Garrett sent shockwaves through the NFL on Monday when he publicly demanded a trade from the Cleveland Browns.
And in his statement announcing his request, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year took a not-so-subtle shot at Browns general manager Andrew Berry.
In his statement, Garrett noted, “The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.” The 29-year-old’s comment appear to be a direct reference to comments Berry has made on multiple occasions regarding the star defensive end’s future with the franchise.
Myles Garrett has requested a trade.
His statement: pic.twitter.com/yx5Q9Exa0V
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2025
“We feel really good about Myles obviously as a big piece of our future,” Berry said at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, last week, according to the team’s official website. “We’re looking forward to him being on the field. Like I said in my (early January) press conference, we envision him going from Cleveland to Canton when his career is over.”
Garrett’s apparent reference to the comments appears to indicate that the former Texas A&M star is well aware of the Browns’ desire to keep him in Cleveland, something he’s seemingly no longer interested in doing. Instead, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft is hopeful that the Browns will trade him to a contender as he chases the postseason success that his evaded him since being drafted by Cleveland.
Over the course of Garrett’s eight seasons with the Browns, Cleveland has made the playoffs just twice, advancing to the Divisional Round in 2020 and being eliminated in the Wild Card Round following the 2023 season. Garrett’s request comes following a 2024 season that saw the Browns amass the second-worst record in the NFL at 3-14, with Cleveland now slated to have the No. 2 overall pick in April’s 2025 NFL Draft.
As it became increasingly apparent that the Browns’ 2024 campaign was a lost one, Garrett was open about the idea that he may consider his options following the season.
“I’m not trying to rebuild,” Garrett told reporters in December, per ESPN. “I’m trying to win right now. And I want that to be apparent when the season is over and we have those discussions. I want them to be able to illuminate, illustrate that for me so that can be something I can see in the near future. Because that’s all we want to do.
“I want to stay loyal to a team that showed loyalty to me and faith in me by drafting me. But we have to do, at the end of the day, what’s best for us. So, if we have that alignment where this is something that is still possible in the near future — winning, going deep in the playoffs, putting a great defense out there … I think that would really keep my mind at rest and keep me settled.”
While Garrett previously indicated that he may be open to remaining in Cleveland for the final two years of his current contract — and potentially beyond — that no longer appears to be the case. As for the Browns, the team has insisted that it’s not interested in trading away its star player despite his demand, according to multiple reports.
