Myles Garrett ‘not open to’ a contract extension with the Browns, league source says – cleveland.com
Myles Garrett wants to be traded this offseason, and is not open to a contract extension with the Browns, according to a source.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.comINDIANAPOLIS — Myles Garrett is “not open to” a contract extension with the Browns, a league source told cleveland.com on Thursday. Normally, Browns GM Andrew Berry meets with agents at the NFL Combine about such matters, but Garrett and his camp, led by agent Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports, have apparently slammed the door shut on negotiations.Garrett, who’s requested a trade from the Browns so he can go elsewhere to win a Super Bowl, has adamantly stated it’s not about the money, and means business. The Browns, meanwhile, have unequivocally said they’re not trading their star defender, with Berry saying at the Senior Bowl last month that he wouldn’t do so, even for two first-round picks. He doubled down on those remarks Tuesday at the Combine, making it clear that he’s not fielding calls on the future Hall of Famer and No. 1 overall pick in 2017.“I wouldn’t really touch on any conversations that I have with other teams, just respectfully,” Berry said. “I don’t think that’s appropriate just for current and future business, but it’s irrelevant to this situation because we’re not interested in trading Myles.”It’s been Berry’s stance all along to sign Garrett to a blockbuster extension, one that would likely make him the highest paid defender in the NFL at about $40 million a year. Garrett, 29, is heading into the second-to-last year of a contract extension that pays him $25 million a year. The average ranks fifth among edge rushers, and $9 million behind the highest-paid edge rusher, San Francisco’s Nick Bosa. Asked if he needed to have an extension done with Garrett by the start of the NFL league year March 12, Berry spoke in general terms about negotiations. “As you’ve probably seen over the past five years, whenever you get into extension talks, they can happen at any time,” Berry said. “I’ve learned not to predict those because often times those negotiations, they can go up and down and back and forth. “I think if you look at our history through 2020, we’ve had some that have occurred in March or April. Some have occurred in June, July, some that have occurred in-season and some who have occurred as late as December. So I can’t begin to predict, but we really do take the approach with our cash and cap planning. We take a multi-year time horizon and to accommodate the flexibility that we need.”Berry has consistently stated that he wants to sign Garrett to an extension that will enable him to finish his career with the Browns and then go straight to Canton to be immortalized in the Hall of Fame. But Garrett dismissed the Cleveland to Canton phrase in his statement requesting the trade on Feb. 3.“ … 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,” he wrote. “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.”He told Rich Eisen on radio row at the Super Bowl, where he conducted a national media blitz, that the Browns’ goals for contending in the short term don’t match his.“It’s not a decision I take lightly,” Garrett said. “It took time and lots of conversation, but just looking at the trajectory of the team, talking to some of the higher-ups … I have a lot of respect for them, but I just don’t think we’re aligned on where the team is going in the near future. “I feel like the window for us as athletes is only so broad and only continues to close as years go by with anything being able to happen on that field from day to day. I want to be able to go out there and compete at the highest levels, day in and day out, and play for championships, like I said.”While Garrett and his camp have dug in their heels on the trade demand, Berry has been equally adamant that he’s not moving Garrett. “Myles, as you guys have all heard me say, he’s a huge part of our organization, really good person, he’s an awesome player,” Berry said. “I understand the trade request and everything, but our stance really has not changed. We can’t imagine a situation where not having Myles as a part of the organization is best for the Browns.”Is there any offer he wouldn’t be able to refuse?“It would go to what I said before, where we don’t have an interest in trading Myles,” Berry said. “He’s a big part of our team.” Kevin Stefanski echoed Berry’s sentiments on Wednesday, stating that he expects Garrett to remain a Brown. “Not impacting my plans,” Stefanski said. “As you know, I think the world of Myles, I understand the business of football and I understand these things happen from time to time. But I expect Myles on our team this year, next year, the year after that and so on. He’s part of the present, he’s part of the future.”He also stressed that their goals for contending are the same. “I also want to win,” Stefanski said. “I also want to win a championship. That’s just how we’re wired and we’re working very hard towards that goal.”The Eagles have been rumored to be one of the teams interested in trading for Garrett, but Berry isn’t budging.So what’s the end game for the Browns and Garrett? On Super Bowl Sunday, Garrett said “I’m willing to do whatever it takes” to get the Browns to trade him, which means it could get ugly before it’s resolved. As for now, Garrett and his team are sticking to their guns about getting him out of Cleveland, even if the Browns make him an unprecedented offer.Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com’s Browns reporters. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. 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