Myles Garrett Deceived Browns Fans Before Sudden Trade Request

The Cleveland Browns have had a history filled with traumatic events. Older fans may remember John Elway’s drive in the 1987 AFC Championship Game. Others may remember when the team packed up and moved to become the Baltimore Ravens in 1996.

A younger generation may have celebrated when the Browns came back as an expansion team in 1999 but even that has been filled with false saviors like Tim Couch and questionable decisions like acquiring Deshaun Watson. But on Monday, Myles Garrett added another traumatic event to the list and its ramifications may have deceived a fan base that had been so loyal to him over the years.

Myles Garrett’s Trade Request Clearly Deceived Browns Fans

Garrett dropped a bombshell on the NFL universe on Monday when he issued a statement stating his desire to be traded from Cleveland in order to chase a Super Bowl. The statement mentions his love for the community of Northeast Ohio and “the incredible fanbase” of the Browns. He called it one of the toughest decisions of his life and went on to call Cleveland his home.

Trade requests aren’t uncommon in the NFL – especially in the day in age where “Top Five Trade Destination” videos and articles are a staple of social media feeds. But few have the amount of backtracking that Garrett’s statement provided on Monday.

Garrett told reporters after the Browns season finale against Baltimore that he didn’t want to be part of a rebuild and that talks about a potential contract extension would be contingent on what the front office’s plan was heading into the offseason. While that statement sounded ominous, Garrett changed his tone during the last episode of in-season Hard Knocks.

“I’ve talked to [general manager Andrew Berry,]” Garrett said. “How we gonna make the most of all the talent that is here? We’re closer than some may think we are. …Everyone wants to know how we can get out of the rut that we’re in and get back to winning games and making a run instead of making plans.”

More optimism was built during last week’s Senior Bowl practices when general manager Andrew Berry bluntly stated he wouldn’t trade Garrett for two first-round picks. 

It took two weeks for those good feelings to fly out the window and Garrett is now looking for a future destination.

Of course, there are a few things that could have happened. Maybe the Browns assessed their roster and decided that a rebuild might be best for their long-term future – although such a move could cost Berry and Kevin Stefanski their jobs.

Perhaps Garrett wasn’t sold on Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward as a potential savior in the draft. Or maybe it was a reliance on a veteran stopgap like Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson that had Garrett saying “No thanks.”

Still, the reversal is a 180 to what Garrett stated just a few weeks ago. And it’s another traumatic event that Browns fans can throw on the pile after a history full of them.

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