Myles Garrett broke his own Cleveland Browns record yesterday, recording five sacks on New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the most in a single game in franchise history.
But it wasn’t enough to keep Cleveland in the game, as they still ended up losing 32-13. Garrett was visibly frustrated on the Browns’ sideline, but didn’t he make his own bed here?
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft requested a trade this past offseason, but rescinded it when Cleveland offered him the largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history at the time.
Jared Allen urges Browns to trade Myles Garrett
Hall of Fame defensive end Jared Allen is a big fan of Garrett, but believes he can’t be as frustrated as he is thanks to his own actions over the course of the offseason.
“Dude, you had your chance and you chose the money. You knew what you were getting into when they paid you $120-some odd million to stay in Cleveland, you knew what you were getting into,” said Allen on Kay Adams’ Up & Adams Show.
“Now, if I’m Cleveland, I’m trading Myles Garrett, trading his contract, and I’m getting as many picks as I possibly can and letting that guy go try to win somewhere…the reality is they’re so far away from a championship, he’ll have a gold jacket before they even sniff that.”
It’s hard to argue with Allen’s overall point about Garrett. He certainly could’ve landed his mega extension elsewhere in the NFL and been on a team that can compete.
Cleveland, as currently constructed, is nowhere near being a fringe playoff team. They would be better off acquiring a haul of assets for Garrett than wasting the prime of his career on teams that can’t even be a factor in the playoff hunt.
With the trade deadline around the corner, it seems unlikely the NFL’s sack leader would force a trade on such short notice. But when the offseason begins, it will certainly be an interesting topic of conversation if the Browns are selecting a rookie quarterback with a top pick in next April’s draft.