Bad behavior on the field by Myles Garrett last season damaged his public image. It didn’t change how the Cleveland Browns feel about him.
The team signed Garrett with a five-year, $ 125 million contract extension Wednesday, making the talented running back the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. The deal includes $ 100 million guaranteed, according to the NFL Network.
The timing of Garrett’s extension is surprising, as the last time he played in a game he ended up ripping off Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet and hitting him over the head with it. The shocking attack led to a six-game suspension for Garrett and questions about his character.
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But despite a league ban that effectively ended Cleveland’s playoff hopes, the Browns never wavered in their belief in Garrett as a person or a player. They wanted to make sure they will have the 24-year-old for several years, and now he will anchor his defense during the 2026 season.
“It would be remiss of me not to address the fact that we are choosing to do this after a season during which Myles was suspended,” said Browns first-year general manager Andrew Berry.
“Myles has been responsible for his mistake and we see the incident as misplaced as well. We don’t think a moment should define it based on how it was handled before and in the months after last year’s incident.
“We are excited to ensure that Myles stays in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.”
Garrett posted a video on Instagram of him signing the deal and then writing a note he pushed in front of the camera that said: “Cleveland is still betting on me. The world is still betting against us. “
Garrett’s agent, Bus Cook, and the Browns had been working on the record package for months, and finalized it amid uncertainty about the opening of training camp later this month and whether there will be a 2020 season due to the COVID-19. pandemic.
Garrett was under contract until 2021 after the Browns exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie contract in April. It will earn $ 4.6 million in 2020 and $ 15.18 million next season before the extension begins.
Selected in the No. 1 draft in 2017, Garrett is one of the league’s most feared defenders, a combination of power and speed. His average salary dwarfs the $ 23.5 million per season that the Chicago Bears are giving star running back Khalil Mack, who signed in 2018.
Garrett has strange physical abilities. At 6 feet 4 inches, 280 pounds, he is a devastating mix of power and speed, and his ability to turn the corner and hit the quarterback or harass him has forced teams to sometimes spend two and three blockers trying to slow down. Garrett.
“It is really important to us as an organization to consolidate Myles status here for a long time,” said coach Kevin Stefanski.
“Myles’ skill set is still scratching the surface. He’s young, and I can’t wait to put him in our hands and put him in this scheme and let him go. He’s as disturbing as they come. He’s big, long, fast, fast and has one motor. Check all the boxes. “
Garrett has 30 1/2 sacks in 37 games since the Browns selected Garrett from Texas A&M three years ago. Garrett had 10 sacks in 10 games last season before the infamous incident with Rudolph, who tangled with the defensive end in the closing seconds of Cleveland’s 21-7 victory over rival Steelers on November 14.
Garrett claimed that he attacked Rudolph because the QB uttered a racial slur towards him. Rudolph has denied saying anything derogatory to antagonize Garrett. He was reinstated in February after a hearing with the referees and a meeting in New York with Commissioner Roger Goodell.
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His suspension behind him, Garrett wants to reward the Browns for their loyalty.
“In 2017, the Cleveland Browns bet on me,” he said. “This city quickly became my home and these people quickly became my family. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity, the support of my friends and family, the organization, my teammates, the fans. I could go on forever, but even that wouldn’t be enough time to express my gratitude.
“I’ll just say this: Keep betting on me, Cleveland, because I won’t let you down. Now, let’s go to work.”
Garrett’s extension was completed a week after the Browns restructured Olivier Vernon’s contract. Vernon was supposed to earn $ 15.25 million in 2020 before reaching a $ 11 million guaranteed deal.
