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Daniel Oyefusi
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at the Senior Bowl Tuesday that he will not trade star defensive end Myles Garrett this offseason, according to The Athletic and cleveland.com.
When asked by a reporter if the Browns would consider trading Garrett for a return of something like two first-round picks, Berry responded by affirming that the team would not be interested, according to cleveland.com.
Garrett’s future in Cleveland came under speculation after he made comments during the season that he wanted to see the team’s offseason plans before further committing to the organization. The Browns finished 3-14, their worst record since going 0-16 in the 2017 season.
In late December, Garrett said he did not want to go through another rebuild in Cleveland. When asked after the team’s season finale if an extension this offseason would hinge on his talks with Cleveland’s higher-ups, Garrett said, “I mean, there’ll be something coming.”
However in an episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” that aired on Jan. 14, Garrett said he had talked to Berry about how they were going to get the most out of the talent they have.
“We’re closer than some may think we are,” Garrett said.
Berry said during his end-of-season news conference earlier this month that he anticipated Garrett would spend the rest of his career with the Browns.
“My anticipation, expectation is that he’ll have a direct ticket from Cleveland to Canton at the end of his years and expect him to be here and retire a Brown, quite frankly,” Berry said.
Garrett, 29, has two years remaining on the five-year, $125 million extension he signed in 2020. A new deal would likely once again make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
The NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Garrett recorded 14 sacks for the second consecutive season. He is a finalist for the award this season.