The Cleveland Browns have yet to update the injury status of their first-overall draft pick, edge defender Myles Garrett, but on the surface, it appears as though it may be slightly more significant than it initially appeared, given that he was able to walk off the field when it initially happened and remain on the sideline observing practice.
While the foot injury certainly shouldn’t be something that would put him in jeopardy of missing any time this year—at least I wouldn’t think so until we learn more, which may very well not be for a while—the fact of the matter is that he can have an impact on his rookie season.
The Browns have wrapped up their minicamp and now will have several weeks off. If your biggest acquisition has to have an injury, it might as well be while there is no formal learning or training taking place. But he is currently in a walking boot, which indicates that recovery may take some time.
That is time—weeks, perhaps—in which Garrett’s physical conditioning is going to degrade, and that will show by the time he hits training camp, assuming that he is ready to resume practicing by that point.
It goes without saying that this is all highly speculative right now, but it will be something to monitor going forward, even as updates will be scarce at this time of year given that there is no official contact with players right now leading into training camp.
According to Cleveland.com, Garrett was already being used on a limited basis during OTAs with what they were told was a sore foot. He reportedly had just returned from resting during practice when he injured his foot that put him in a walking boot on just his second rep back in the mix.
It is an unfortunate situation for both Garrett and the Browns, neither of whom, no doubt, envisioned having to deal with this so early in their union together. The outside linebacker is going to be an integral part of what the Cleveland franchise is looking to build after a 1-15 season that earned them the top pick to be able to select him in the first place.
As tends to be the case, Garrett has drawn a lot of criticism due to his status as such a high-profile draft pick, resulting in everything he says or does being scrutinized. There is a certain sardonic quality in some people that result in them seeking out and accentuating or exaggerating the negatives in successful people, and no doubt his injury-riddled rookie offseason has been and will continue to be a target for the ‘I told you so’ crowd.
For his sake and for the sake of a fan base that is in desperate need for some positive momentum, I hope that Garrett’s foot injury doesn’t prevent him from entering training camp in the proper condition that will allow him to hit the ground running as he begins his career.
