Just a month after requesting a trade away from the Cleveland Browns, the star pass-rusher is now sticking around for the foreseeable future. He has agreed to an extension with the team, that will make him the highest-paid, non-quarterback in NFL history.
Garrett famously made headlines during Super Bowl week, making his trade request known on Feb. 3. By the end of the month, both sides began to dig in. Garrett was unwilling to negotiate with the Browns, while the team was unwilling to meet with him.
As the trade rumors swirled, general manager Andrew Berry expressed at the NFL combine that he couldn’t imagine a situation where Garrett leaving was best for the team.
Now he won’t have to.
Here’s what to know about Garrett’s record-breaking deal.
Myles Garrett contract details
Garrett inked a four-year, $160 million extension with the Browns.
The contract is valued at $40 million per year and includes $123.5 million in guaranteed money, a person close to the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. The person spoke on a condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the subject.
Garrett now tops the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, who just set the record on March 5 with his contract extension.
The 29-year-old Garrett expressed his desire to win as the reason for the trade request, saying in a statement:
‘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,’ Garrett wrote. ‘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.
‘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.
‘With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.’
It appears that both sides have made peace.
A four-time All-Pro, six-time Pro-Bowler and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, Garrett has stacked plenty of success individually in Cleveland. He’s eclipsed double-digit sacks in seven of the eight seasons with the Browns and posted 102.5 over 117 career games.
Despite that, Garrett has only played in three playoff games. Based on his previous comments, he’ll hope this contract extension also includes more of those.