Myles Garrett is coming off the career-best season of his nine-year NFL career. The defensive end set a historic NFL record while playing for a team that won only five out of 17 games.

A series of developments since then has given reasons to believe that he could walk away from the Browns. 

Zac Jackson, a Browns expert who writes for The Athletic, weighed in on Garrett’s restructured contract and its implications.

“The late-March contract modification Garrett and the Browns agreed to deferred a $10 million payment to Garrett without granting Cleveland any short-term cap relief. The only way to interpret that modification is to say it at least opened the door to a potential trade of the 30-year-old Garrett before early September, when that payment is due.”

The management running Jimmy Haslam’s franchise made headlines when they restructured Garrett’s contract in March.

They converted $8 million of his 2029 and 2030 base salary into roster bonuses. And they moved his signing bonuses for the 2026, 27, and 28 seasons to seven days before the regular season starts.

This move triggered speculation of Garrett’s trade, but that being said, general manager Andrew Berry had to come forth to state, for a second time, that the 30-year-old DE is not going anywhere.

Even after being told that Garrett is a “career Brown” and “one of the faces of our organization,” the football community is unconvinced.

Despite being called a “career Brown,” the situation is beginning to tell a different story. After previously requesting a trade before signing his $160 million deal, Garrett’s recent contract restructure and absence from voluntary workouts have only added fuel to speculation.

That tension is further complicated by reports suggesting he was unhappy with the Browns' passing over Jim Schwartz for the head coaching role in favor of Todd Monken.

Zac Jackson Weighs in on Myles Garrett’s Potential Replacement

Myles Garrett's new contract makes him tradable after June 1. Zac Jackson also believes that Garrett would walk out, but the Browns won’t make a move over the matter this week.

“While it won’t happen this weekend, the Browns selecting any edge rushers could fuel speculation of 2026 becoming a punt year and Garrett potentially getting moved,” Jackson further said.

He opined that Alex Wright (37 tackles and 5.5 sacks) and Isaiah McGuire (30 tackles and 2 sacks) will support the team. The franchise offered Wright an extension last season, and while arguably not many compare to Garrett, both players are still young (at 25 and 24, respectively).

And his recent appearance, or the lack of it, has hinted at the distance between that team and its player.

At present, Garrett's 23 record-breaking sacks last season make him near-impossible to replace.

Recently, the veteran travelled to cheer for his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who appeared in the NBA playoff Game 1 on 18 April. When asked about his absence, HC Todd Monken chose to focus on his quality.

“This is voluntary," the new head coach said. "We’re making a big deal out of this. We really are. It’s voluntary. We have other guys besides Myles that aren’t here.”

Garrett has skipped the voluntary many times, but it does not affect his production. But whether he plays for the Browns for his 10th year is to be seen.

What are your thoughts? Read more at the Cleveland Browns Community!

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote