Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett made a big spectacle of requesting a trade, and now his teammates are taking to the media to try to dissuade him from his decision. The most vocal has been TE David Njoku, whom the Browns drafted in the same round in the same year. He spoke about Garrett to both the local Cleveland media and the national media at the Super Bowl Radio Row.
“Stay home, come on, give it another shot. We ain’t that far off, honestly speaking”, Njoku told Adam Lefkoe and Mike Golic Jr., pleading to Myles Garrett. “We’ve seen the lowest of the lows, the highest of the highs on our team. I don’t think we’re done yet. I know he wants to win, I know he wants to be great. He wants to be a champion. And so do I”.
Njoku also talked to Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot, going further in his campaign to keep Garrett. “I hope Myles tries to stay”, he told Cleveland.com. “That’s like a brother to me, obviously, so I’m going talk to him and see what I can do”.
Njoku added that he is “not mad” at Myles Garrett for wanting to win a championship. Yet he insisted that the Browns area closer to that level than those on the outside see. Even Garrett said that fairly recently—but then spoke louder with his actions in requesting a trade.
The Cleveland Browns selected Myles Garrett with the first-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. They then drafted S Jabrill Peppers 25th overall and David Njoku 29th overall. Current Steeler Larry Ogunjobi was a part of that same class as a third-round pick, as a matter of fact.
Over the past eight years, Garrett has been one of the dominant defensive players in the NFL. He has recorded 102.5 sacks in that span, including at least 14 in four consecutive seasons. While he finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting this year, he won in 2023.
But the Browns only have two non-losing seasons since drafting Garrett (and HC Kevin Stefanski wins Coach of the Year every times he gets above .500, apparently). After finishing 11-6 in 2023, Garrett probably thought they had things figured out.
But then the Browns backslid hard, finishing the 2024 season 3-14 despite wins over the Steelers and Ravens. There was no Joe Flacco miracle to save them, but even their starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson, is in no such position.
Njoku made an interesting comment in that regard. Asked what the Browns need, he reiterated that they are close. “We just need a healthy, good quarterback”. Watson is neither healthy nor good. And no doubt that is a very large reason why Myles Garrett is looking to get out. Because you can’t win Super Bowls without a good, healthy quarterback.
