Browns: Myles Garrett Man of the Year nominee is bad optics

We’re not even one year removed from Myles Garrett swinging a helmet at a defenseless player and now he’s the Browns nominee for Man of the Year.

Myles Garrett has stayed out of trouble since that faithful night in 2019 when he took Mason Rudolph’s helmet and tried to cave in Rudolph’s skull with it. Garrett was rightfully suspended, though only for the rest of an already lost season. It felt like a slap on the wrist. Then allegations, though unsubstantiated, and never supported, that Garrett heard Rudolph use a racial slur and that’s why Garrett tried to maim him. Now, one year later, Garrett was picked by the Browns to be their nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for behavior both on and off the field.

The off the field stuff Garrett shines at, he’s done a lot of community good. Yet, the award also talks about on the field behavior too. Something Garrett has a lot of rehabbing still to do.

The NFL investigated the incident, looking for Rudolph’s alleged use of a slur, and found no evidence to support Garrett’s theory. Browns players didn’t dismiss Garrett’s claims but couldn’t speak to hearing anything themselves. Steelers players, who were around Rudolph and Garrett when the slur was supposedly uttered, did not hear any slur. No one could find it. No one could back up Garrett’s recount.

Some Browns fans believe this is a coverup to protect Rudolph, which is asinine. Yes, the NFL does make allowances for their stars, but you would think that Garrett, a huge star in the NFL, would be the one who gets favorable treatment. So if there were audio, you know the NFL would run it out.

Now, Garrett, despite pushing the narrative at first, has tried to move away from it. Saying that it doesn’t justify his actions and trying to bury the hatcher with Rudolph. Rudolph, however, isn’t very interested in talking to Garrett. No one can blame Rudolph, Garrett assaulted him then smeared him. The animosity is real.

If this were a Steeler player getting nominated for this award, a year after assaulting a Browns player, there wouldn’t be a fan who wouldn’t be outraged. All anyone wants is consistency. Garrett should not have been nominated nearly a year-to-the-date of braining another human being; no matter the excuse given.

The Browns should have nominated another player who didn’t swing a helmet at someone a year ago. There’s a lot of great men on this team, like Nick Chubb. Chubb was just nominated for the second straight year for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. Considering how beloved Chubb is in the community, on the field, and elsewhere, it makes too much sense.

Garrett is a good man, we have all made mistakes before. He’s only 24 years old, (23 at the time of the attack) and the average human brain continues to mature into its 25th year. So yeah, Garrett isn’t some monster. He’s going to be worthy of a lot of awards as his career continues. It’s the timing that’s the issue.

He shouldn’t have been nominated for an award for proper behavior when just a year ago he was behaving in a way that was anything but proper. It’s bad optics and shows that the Browns still have a way to go as an organization.