Jimmy Haslam explains why Browns have made this Myles Garrett trade decision

The Cleveland Browns reportedly are serious about not trading star pass-rusher Myles Garrett, even though the club altering when option bonuses attached to his contract would be due could make completing such a trade easier for everybody involved. 

While speaking with reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Monday, Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam explained why Garrett won't be traded this offseason. 

How long do the Browns want to keep Myles Garrett?

"I could argue that Myles is the best player in the NFL, okay?" Haslam said, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "And you could say, 'Well, no, you’ve got to pick the quarterbacks,' and I wouldn’t argue against that because quarterback is so important in the NFL. But [Garrett] had his best year ever. If you know Myles, he takes phenomenal care of himself, and I think he’ll remain the best player in the NFL and a top-rate defender for the next five years."

Garrett signed a four-year, $160M contract extension that included $123.5M guaranteed and a no-trade clause last offseason. He then set a new official single-season record of 23 sacks en route to becoming a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award winner. 

"Guys like Myles Garrett do not come along very much," Haslam continued. "They just don’t. They don’t come along. He is a unicorn. And Myles is an integral part of what we do at the Cleveland Browns."

Is Myles Garrett committed to staying with the Browns? 

Garrett went public with a trade request shortly before he signed his extension, and he hasn't yet publicly addressed the rumors about his future that resurfaced. On Monday, Haslam insisted he "absolutely" thinks Garrett is fully committed to staying with the Browns through at least the start of the 2026 season. 

"We anticipate Myles fully buying in," Haslam added. "Now let me say, it’s not unusual for Myles not to be in real close contact with us in the offseason. So he’s not the kind of guy that’s there all the time and calls you every week. That’s just different styles. It’s fine." 

One unnamed general manager told NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US that the Browns "haven’t seemed interested at all in moving" Garrett since early 2025. Assuming Haslam was being honest on Monday, it appears he won't be changing his mind about Garrett anytime soon.