Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has requested a trade, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. In a statement shared by Rapoport, Garrett said that his desire to win a Super Bowl was driving his decision to leave.
"As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever. My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today," Garrett wrote.
Garrett added that he cared more about winning a championship than about becoming an NFL Hall of Famer.
"While I've loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl," he said.
Garrett, a six-time Pro Bowler and the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, has spent his entire eight-year career with the Browns since being drafted first overall in 2017. He has recorded double-digit sacks in all but his rookie year. Garrett is coming off another excellent season with Cleveland, recording 14 sacks and a career-high 40 solo tackles, and is a finalist for 2024 Defensive Player of the Year.
Last week, Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at the Pro Bowl that he was not planning on trading Garrett and was instead aiming for a contract extension. Garrett signed a five-year, $125 million extension in 2020, but has said throughout the season that he does not want to be part of a Cleveland rebuild.
