After eight seasons filled with instability at quarterback and limited playoff success, Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett has reached a breaking point.
The All-Pro pass rusher has requested a trade, a move that hardly comes as a surprise given Cleveland’s struggles to build a true Super Bowl contender around him.
Despite Garrett’s frustration, the Browns front office isn’t rushing to move its best player.
Teammates have also responded with optimism, believing Cleveland is far closer to relevance than its disastrous 3-14 record in 2024 suggests.
Among those trying to understand Garrett’s perspective is quarterback Jameis Winston, who started for Cleveland in 2024 and saw the team’s dysfunction firsthand.
During an appearance on the Off the Edge podcast, Winston recalled a conversation with Garrett about his frustrations.
“I had to ask Myles, like, ‘Bro, tell me how you felt,’ because I was only there for one year, right?” Winston said. “And what I saw from the organization, it didn’t seem like an organization that was deteriorating.
“I saw bad treatment of Deshaun Watson. I saw lack of execution from the offense. I saw me throwing away some games, you know, but at the end of the day, I didn’t see anything organizationally that showed them to having a bad culture.”
Winston went 2-5 as a starter, throwing 13 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, and was part of the reason the Browns landed the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
However, Winston’s play was far from the only issue.
Watson’s enormous struggles, a defense that regressed from its 2023 form, and years of questionable roster moves all contributed to yet another wasted season.
Garrett, however, has experienced much worse.
“He was like, ‘Jameis, you’ve never been 0-16,’” Winston said of Garrett’s response. “I think it’s like the Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson approach, like you can only have so many individual accolades, right?
“He never had a glimpse of [a championship]. Only two years he’s been in the playoffs.”
Garrett’s frustration is understandable.
The former No. 1 overall pick in 2017 has built a résumé that places him among the greatest pass rushers of his generation.
In 2024, he recorded 14 sacks, led the league in tackles for loss, and earned another All-Pro selection.
He’s been a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Yet, his efforts have rarely translated to meaningful postseason success.
Cleveland’s current trajectory doesn’t inspire confidence, either.
The team is once again searching for a long-term answer at quarterback, and its path to contention remains murky to say the least.
For Garrett, the decision is simple – if he wants a Super Bowl ring, staying in Cleveland might not be the way to get it.
After nearly a decade with the Browns, Garrett has given everything to the franchise.
Many will argue that requesting a trade isn’t the way to go. However, Garrett feels its the right play for him despite Winston trying to explain that he should stay with the Browns.
Of course, Cleveland doesn’t HAVE to trade Garrett if they don’t want to.
Having said that, they most likely will, but the most important thing is for them not to settle in trade negotiations. They should insist on taking the best deal possible and not settle for anything less.
What are your thoughts on Garrett’s trade request and Winston’s struggles to understand it?
At the end the of the day, where do you think Garrett will be playing next season???
