Do Browns regret keeping Myles Garrett after Micah Parsons trade?

The Dallas Cowboys received two first-round draft picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for star pass-rusher Micah Parsons via a trade that was made on Aug. 28.

That deal caused some to wonder whether or not Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry regrets signing Myles Garrett to a four-year, $160M contract extension that included $123.5M guaranteed back in March after Garrett made it known the previous month he wanted to be traded to an advertised championship contender. 

During a recent chat with Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Berry addressed why Garrett will feature for the Browns when they open the season with a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals this coming Sunday, assuming his recent hip injury doesn't keep him out.

Why the Browns held onto Myles Garrett

"We kept him for a couple of reasons," Berry said about Garrett. "First, he has a chance to be a 'one-helmet player,' meaning he can spend his whole career with one team. We have that vision for him within the organization. He’s one of the best players in the league at a premier position. You use resources to get players like Myles Garrett, who can impact the game by making a single play. We’re not in the business of giving up that caliber of game-altering players."

Garrett has played only for the Browns since they made him the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Back in the summer, league executives, coaches and scouts surveyed by ESPN ranked the one-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year as the best overall player at his position heading into the 2025 campaign. 

That said, the Browns aren't expected to compete for anything of note from this Sunday through January 2026. As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Cleveland at +125 betting odds to notch over 5.5 wins for the upcoming season. Such forecasts indicate Berry should have acquired needed assets in return for Garrett, who turns 30 years old in December.

Will Browns employees save their jobs by keeping Myles Garrett?

"Since they went 1-31 in 2016 and ’17, they’ve had seven seasons," Pluto said on the latest edition of his "Terry's Talkin'" podcast about the Browns not trading Garrett. "And they’ve had how many winning records in those seven seasons? Two. This (downturn) is supposed to lead to some sort of sustained success. Vague term, intentionally, but I don’t think two winning seasons out of seven is sustained success by anybody’s definition."

In short, it sounds as if Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski believe they could be shown the door if a Browns team that went 3-14 last season endures yet another brutal campaign. 

"You don’t want to trade players like Myles Garrett," Berry told Pluto. "You want to draft players like Myles Garrett." 

On Friday, ESPN Bet had the Browns as 5.5-point home underdogs against the Bengals. If Cleveland gets blown out by Cincinnati, whispers suggesting the Browns made a mistake by not trading Garrett to the highest bidder ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft may grow louder.