Myles Garrett Pushes Back on Browns Rebuild Talk as Sack Record Looms

Myles Garrett is one sack away from breaking the NFL sack record but his team is 4-12 and he wants to win some trophies while he's still in Cleveland.

Myles Garrett Pushes Back on Browns Rebuild Talk as Sack Record Looms

Kevin Stefanski and Myles Garrett in the circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

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When Myles Garrett signed a record-breaking contract, it indicated that he seemed comfortable playing for the Cleveland Browns in the long term. Since then, the Browns are 4-12 and won’t be in the playoffs for another year.

That hasn’t stopped Garrett from putting up dominating performances every week. He leads the league with 22.5 sacks (six more than second-place Brian Burns of the Giants). He’s very close to breaking the NFL sack record, jointly held by Michael Strahan and TJ Watt.

Garrett has certainly justified his $40 million AAV salary regardless of the Browns’ league position. Honestly, he can only do so much. The offense must back the great work done by the defense. That department belongs to Kevin Stefanski, whose time in Cleveland could be coming to an end.

On Friday, reporters asked Garrett if he’d be open to a coaching change in the offseason. The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year quickly replied that he wants to be successful no matter who is in charge.

I want things to be successful [in Cleveland], however that looks. I don’t know what the future holds [for the Browns], whether it’s with him [Stefanski] or anything else. I’m going to look forward to playing under whoever it is. I’m going to be happy to be here, being a [Cleveland] Brown regardless.

Myles Garrett said

Myles Garrett isn’t interested in a rebuild

The message from Garrett is clear: he wants to see the Browns win something in the next few years. But in the current state, that appears to be a pipe dream at best. The best move is to shake things up at the top by bringing in new faces for the coaching staff and signing players who can make the Browns competitive.

Myles Garrett Pushes Back on Browns Rebuild Talk as Sack Record Looms
Myles Garrett (Image via IMAGO)

However, when it comes to rebuilding, Garrett has the same opinion as Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders. Neither gear up for tank games.

I am committed to winning [with the Browns]. As long as the team and the organization are doing so and they’re committed to that same thing, then I’m all on board. But if we’re thinking other than winning [if it’s tanking or rebuilding] that’s not me.

Myles Garrett said (H/T: The Athletic)

Does Kevin Stefanski have a future with the Browns?

The biggest need of the hour for the Browns is a franchise quarterback. Dillon Gabriel doesn’t appear to be the man for the job, and Shedeur Sanders has been a hit and a miss since becoming the starter. Sanders at least has the support of the fans, but the final decision remains in Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry‘s hands.

Then again, Stefanski might not be around to make that decision. ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Rizzo reported that the Browns are planning to move on from him after the Browns play their final game of the year in Cincinnati.

Stefanski has been heavily linked with the Giants, who fired Brian Daboll midway through last year. New York media’s Jordan Raanan labeled Stefanski a good fit for the position.

This leaves the Browns an avenue to bring in a fresh face. And that fresh face could be the Miami Dolphins’ current head coach, Mike McDaniel.

The sense is that McDaniel would be a candidate in Cleveland, should the Dolphins move on and Cleveland’s job open. He still has some support in Miami. We will see if that’s enough.

ESPN‘s Jeremy Fowler wrote in a recent article

McDaniel looked to be out of Miami after a horrible start to the year. The Dolphins failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight year, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers.

As for the Browns, McDaniel would have a top defense to work with that he hasn’t had in Miami. He just needs to fix the quarterback situation. Currently, the Browns hold the sixth overall draft pick, and the best course of action would be to draft a quarterback or browse the free agency for solutions. Still, some big changes are likely to happen in the next few months.

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