For the past few years, maybe no player has been a bigger thorn in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ side than Myles Garrett. Not only has Garrett been a problem on the field, but he’s also been a rival for T.J. Watt when it comes to being the best pass rusher in the league. While Garrett has been dominant, the Cleveland Browns have continued to disappoint. Because of that, he requested a trade. However, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski doesn’t seem interested in getting rid of Garrett.
“I expect Myles [Garrett] on our football team this year, next year, the year after that and so on,” Stefanski said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine via AP writer Rob Maaddi on Twitter. “He’s part of the present and the future.”
It isn’t surprising that Stefanski doesn’t want to part ways with Garrett. Not only is he the Browns’ best player, but he’s also one of the best players in the NFL. Without him, the Browns are a significantly worse team. It would feel like the Browns are starting back at square one.
However, they might not have any choice. Garrett made his request very public. He’s been clear that he wants to play elsewhere in 2025. Even though he’s under contract with the Browns for the next few years, he could always hold out. Garrett could become a big enough distraction that the Browns have no other choice but to trade him.
Garrett no longer being in the AFC North would be a huge boon for the Steelers. He wrecked their first game against Cleveland last year, posting three sacks. Although they could trade him within the division, it is as close to impossible as something could get in the NFL. With any luck, the Browns will trade Garrett to an NFC team, where the Steelers are less likely to see him.
Many Steelers fans might not like him, but there’s no denying that Garrett is an unbelievable player. He wants to compete for a Super Bowl, and at this point, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen in Cleveland.
Stefanski doesn’t want to part ways with him, but it might take a lot to repair that relationship. Garrett opened up that can of worms, and closing it is going to take a lot of work. There’s still a lot of time left for the Browns to figure out how to keep Garrett. However, they might not want to wait too long to trade him. The longer this situation goes on, the bigger a distraction it becomes.
