Browns Star Has Lingering Impact On Cleveland Professional Sports

Cleveland has rarely been a destination for free agents in any professional sport until Myles Garrett changed the tune.

Nov 19, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates after sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (not pictured) during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn't long ago that Myles Garrett was drafted onto one of the worst teams in the history of the NFL. Coming off of an 0-16 season, the Cleveland Browns selected Myles Garrett as the No. 1 overall pick with the hopes that the defensive end could be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.

Talk about paying dividends.

Garrett has become perhaps the league's most valuable defensive star and is putting together a Hall of Fame-caliber resume.

Through his first seven seasons, he is averaging a whopping 12 sacks and 43 tackles per season. His 88.5 sacks through his first 100 games is a pace that is amongst the game's legends and has him hitting 100 career sacks by December of this season.

Dec 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) in action during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Beyond the individual accolades and successes, Garrett has kept this franchise together in times of legitimate turmoil. The back-to-back failed coaching hires in the late 2010's, to the Baker/Odell drama in 2021 that finished with Mayfield being shipped off to Carolina. Each of those things could have ended the Browns' rebuild, but Garrett remained firm and stayed put to finish the job he was brought here to do.

Now, in 2024, the Browns have a top-5 roster in the entire NFL and their success hinges largely on the play of their quarterback. Garrett himself is coming off his best season as a pro and one that led him to be named the Defensive Player of the Year. Yet, his impact is felt far outside of the Browns locker room.

The ripple effect of Garrett's stardom and loyalty has carried to the two other professional franchises in town. Garrett signed his contract extension in 2020, which inked him to his second deal with the team and ensured that he will be a Cleveland Brown through 2026.

Just two years later, Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez signed a seven-year contract extension making him a Guardian through the 2029 MLB campaign. Ramirez unquestionably signed a deal below market value because he wanted so badly to play his entire career in Northeast Ohio.

Then on Tuesday, Cleveland polished off the trifecta when Cavs superstar Donovan Mitchell came to an agreement on a three-year contract extension that keeps him rocking the wine and gold through the 2026 hoops season. He is a top-15 player in the NBA and is betting that Cleveland gives him a better chance than anywhere else to win an NBA title - even more than his hometown New York Knicks, where countless national analysts projected him to eventually land.

Sure, each of these contracts are mutually exclusive, but it's hard to deny that being a professional athlete in Cleveland is now something sought after. There is so much momentum for this city. And while LeBron James choosing to return home after spending part of his prime in Miami, Myles Garrett was the first of three non-native-Clevelanders to choose to make a career out of playing here. It's hard to overstate just how much of an impact Garrett's decision to remain in Cleveland may have had on the sports fans across Northeast Ohio.