Browns' Myles Garrett declines to take accountability after 'extremely disappointing' incident

Shortly after it was learned earlier in August that Cleveland Browns All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett had been cited for driving 100 mph in a 60 mph zone on an interstate in a Cleveland suburb, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski publicly said that Garrett's latest on-the-road incident was "extremely disappointing." 

On Wednesday, reporters received their first opportunities to ask Garrett about the speeding ticket. He declined to offer any real answers. 

"I'd honestly rather talk about football and this team than anything I'm doing off field, other than the back-to-school event that I did the other day," Garrett said in response to one question, as shared by Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Per Camryn Justice of News 5 Cleveland, Garrett was referencing a recent event held at Rocket Arena, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, that "brought in about 300 local students and their families" and involved "packing backpacks full of school supplies like folders and pencils, as well as other necessities like hats and gloves for the winter months."

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Garrett has had at least eight speeding citations in Northeast Ohio since Cleveland made him the first overall selection of the 2017 NFL Draft. Most notably, he missed a game during the 2022 season after he was involved in a single-car accident following a team practice. 

Understandably, reporters pressed Garrett for a comment regarding his latest driving incident. He did not oblige. 

"I'd rather talk about something that's more focused on this team, what we're doing, what we're trying to accomplish," Garrett responded to a different question. 

After the Browns signed Garrett to a four-year, $160M extension that included $123.5M guaranteed in March, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic suggested that the 29-year-old hadn't always created a "culture of accountability" during his Cleveland tenure. Later, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam revealed that he had challenged Garrett "to become a real leader of the team." 

Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons noted that one reporter asked Garrett on Wednesday about his leadership.

"Again, you’re asking the same question, and I’ve answered it two different times," Garrett said. "So, I’m going to need you to ask a different question so I can focus on this team and not this headline you’re trying to get out of this question that you’re asking."

Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was cited for speeding in Ohio twice back in June. In the early days of training camp, he fell on his figurative sword and acknowledged he "definitely learned not to drive fast at all." Sanders added at that time that he hoped "everybody learned from my situation." 

For whatever reason, Garrett went a different route while meeting with media members on Wednesday.