Browns sign DE Myles Garrett to record four-year extension

Myles Garrett is staying in Cleveland after all.

The Browns and the star defensive end reached an agreement on a record-setting four-year extension that will average $40 million per season and includes $123.5 million guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday.

Cleveland officially announced the extension but did not disclose financial details.

The deal will make the 29-year-old Garrett the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history, surpassing the deal that Maxx Crosby signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday. It also includes a no-trade clause that will keep Garrett with the Browns through the 2030 season, Schefter added.

Garrett’s extension puts an end to the month-long saga that began when the star pass rusher publicly requested a trade on Feb. 3 after the Browns finished the season 3-14.

“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 said in his statement. “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.”

Over the last month, the Browns said they were able to convince Garrett that his desire to win can still happen in Cleveland.

“He had conversations with Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry during routine exit interviews following the season which both sides expressed frustrations about the results of the 2024 season as well as aspirations to win,” the Browns said in a statement Sunday. “Berry has reiterated his commitment to returning to winning in 2025 and has believed Garrett plays an integral role in achieving that goal.”

Garrett, the NFL defensive player of two seasons ago, was a finalist for the award again last season. His 14 sacks ranked second in the league, and he became the first player in NFL history to record 14 or more in four consecutive seasons. He holds the franchise record with 102.5 career sacks.

Even after his initial trade request, Berry was adamant that the team was not going to trade Garrett, even if a team were to offer two first-round draft picks.

“We feel really good about Myles obviously as a big piece of our future,” Berry said. “We’re looking forward to him being on the field. Like I said in my (early January) press conference, we envision him going from Cleveland to Canton when his career is over.”

One step down.