Myles Garrett reveals how Browns teammates reacted to offseason trade request

Cleveland Browns pass-rusher Myles Garrett made it known throughout February that he wanted to be traded to an championship contender. 

Thus, many assumed he agreed to a four-year, $160M contract extension that included $123.5M guaranteed to stay with the Browns only because they made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at that time. 

While meeting with reporters on Tuesday, Garrett was asked if he had spoken with teammates about his desire to leave the organization earlier this year. 

"Sure," Garrett responded, as shared by the Browns' website. "I’ve talked to the guys, and they understand it’s a business and we love what we do, and I love this team, and they understand that I was trying to do what’s best for me. And after talking with them, like I said months ago, talking with [general manager Andrew Berry] and [head coach Kevin Stefanski], what’s best for me and what’s best for this team, eventually that aligned. And we're looking forward to the future of this team and how we can achieve the goals that we want to."

Garrett revealed that part of his conversations with Berry involved campaigning for the club to re-sign fan-favorite running back Nick Chubb. Berry instead went in a different direction regarding the position, and Chubb ultimately joined the Houston Texans.

In his original statement about his trade request, Garrett said that he wanted "to compete for and win a Super Bowl" after the Browns finished the 2024 season at 3-14. As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Browns at +180 odds to notch over 6.5 wins during the upcoming campaign. Such forecasts seemingly show how certain insiders feel about Cleveland's four-way competition for its Week 1 starting quarterback job that features Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. 

"I know they’ll be better," Garrett confidently said about his opinion of the 2025 Browns compared to what it was on Feb. 1. "I know we will be better."

Fair or not, some outsiders now view Garrett as a mercenary who was willing to speak poorly about the overall talent on Cleveland's roster in order to receive a massive contract extension ahead of this year's draft. It remains to be seen what he'll say in public and behind the scenes if the Browns appear headed toward a losing season around Thanksgiving.