Myles Garrett Sends Bold Message To Cleveland Browns

The Browns star edge rusher expects to see the team's offseason plans before determining what's best for his future

Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates a team fumble recovery against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

On the other side of three meaningless regular season, an offseason of major questions awaits the Cleveland Browns.

That's not lost on star pass rusher Myles Garrett, who made it known last week that he wants to remain with the franchise for his entire career. And while that's still the case one week later, Garrett used his weekly press conference to send a strong message to the Browns brass as they start making plans for the future.

"First of all I want to win. And I want the Browns to be able to put me, and us in position to win," asserted the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. "And I'm not trying to rebuild, I'm trying to win right now. And I want that to be apparent when the season is over and we have those discussions, I want them to be able to illuminate that for me, illustrate that to me so that can be something I can see in the near future, because that's all we want to do."

And the second part of the convo, Myles admitted that the QB position is an uncertainty for them as much as it is for fans and he wants to know where things are going there.

Later, noted he could see himself playing elsewhere if the plan doesn't align with his goals. pic.twitter.com/IC3LAQuySs

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) December 20, 2024

Whatever general manager Andrew Berry has planned this offseason, his most pressing question centers around the future at quarterback. The Deshaun Watson experiment was derailed yet again, when the embattled QB suffered another season-ending injury. As he spends the offseason rehabbing from an Achilles tear, his status as Cleveland's No. 1 QB is clouded in uncertainty.

Jameis Winston admirably provided a spark for the Browns over the last seven games, taking the offense to a different gear than Watson did int he first seven. His continued propensity to turn the ball over, however, led to his benching this week in favor of Dorian-Thompson Robinson. The 2023 fifth-round pick now gets his chance to audition for the team's starting QB job.

Due to the nature of his contract, Watson is probably back on the roster in some capacity next season. Whether that be as a starter or a backup is very much a mystery to everyone. Whatever that QB room looks like next year, Garrett wants to see the plan.

"As uncertain as it is on the outside looking in, it's uncertain for us as well," admitted Garrett. "So whether DTR is the solution or someone else is, it's gotta be drawn out. There's gotta be a plan of action and just gotta know where things are going."

If Garrett doesn't get that plan from Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski, or if the organization decides to make sweeping changes with team brass, the 28-year-old could see a future where he's in a different uniform.

"It's a possibility," said Garrett. "But I wanna be a Cleveland Brown, I wanna play here, play my career here. But if we choose to do a rebuild, it's two or three or four years out. I wanna be able to compete and play at a high level, play meaningful games and be playing past January."

That doesn't mean that's the future Garrett wants. His loyalties remain with the Browns, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2017. It all just comes down to the franchise presenting him with a vision for the future, and one that prioritizes winning.

"I'm gonna stay loyal to a team that showed loyalty to me and faith in my by drafting me," he said. "But we have to do, at the end of the day, what's best for us. So if we have that alignment where this is still something that's still possible in the near future: winning, going deep in the playoffs, putting a great defense out there, having a time of possession running game offense, getting all the guys back. I think that would really keep my mind at rest, keep me settled and not just mine, a lot of the guys on the defense, the d-line, around the team."

Garrett may be the only player with the cache to put pressure on the organization like he did on Friday. When he talks, people tend to listen. Whether or not those in charge of course correcting the franchise after a disastrous season listen this time around will play out in the months to come.