The Cleveland Browns held their latest voluntary OTA workout on Wednesday, and some notable players were present but not participating, including safety Grant Delpit and tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
Among those not in attendance was defensive end Myles Garrett, which isn’t out of the ordinary. Garrett hasn’t attended OTAs since 2021. Unless he starts skipping mandatory team activities, starting with the Browns' three-day minicamp in early June, his absence isn’t much of a story.
It has gotten some run, though, after head coach Todd Monken confirmed to reporters last week that he still hasn’t met with Garrett in person. The whole situation is somewhat awkward, as Garrett holds a minority ownership stake in the Cavaliers and was seen around Rocket Arena plenty during this year’s playoff run. The fact that he hasn’t had a real conversation with his new coach yet isn’t the best look.
Browns fans would love to have the face of their franchise and new head coach in lockstep entering this new season, but NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated has his doubts.
Breer has been speculating about a Garrett trade for months now, and he feels Garrett’s continued silence could speak volumes about his immediate future in Cleveland.
“I’ve been through the logic,” Breer said during a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan. “I actually agree with some of the reasons to (explore trading Garrett). After June 1, it becomes easier. So I think that when you look at the landscape, on top of there being a new coaching staff, they seem to be in the middle of a youth movement. Certainly I think that things are TBD until you hear otherwise. That could be next week. That could be the trade deadline.
I just think when you’re talking about after six years of Kevin Stefanski being in charge there, after a bunch of years of Jim Schwartz running the defense, and after doing what the Browns have done the last couple of years to try and stock the team with young talent and get younger all over the place — this does feel like the type of time when you would entertain that type of thought.”
Trading Myles Garrett before the 2026 season would send a brutal message to Browns fans
We’re talking about Myles Garrett here, so the trade chatter isn’t going away anytime soon. Plenty of respectable NFL voices actually believed the Browns could trade Garrett during the 2026 draft, so at least Breer is staying consistent.
Of the potential timeline that Breer laid out, the 2026 trade deadline feels like the only logical discussion if a move is made this year. While Garrett’s contract becomes much more tradable after June 1 for salary cap reasons, the optics of moving a first-ballot Hall of Famer months before the start of a new season can’t be taken lightly.
Any hypothetical trade for Garrett would have to include multiple first-round picks and an impact starter, at minimum. But even if GM Howie Roseman and the Eagles were willing to offer an All-Pro-caliber player like Jalen Carter, who’s due for an extension, along with a package of premium picks, the Browns would be weakening their roster before Monken even coaches his first game.
This year’s Nov. 3 trade deadline would make a lot more sense as a potential checkpoint. By then, the Browns will be eight games into their season, and contending teams could be more desperate to call with mega offers on Garrett. The Browns could listen if they’re already well out of the AFC North race. If they’re closer to (or above) .500 and clearly building something, they could easily justify seeing things through with the most impactful player in football.
The guess here is that Garrett will rejoin his teammates when required, as usual, and say all the right things about Monken and the team’s new direction upon his arrival. The Browns will then restructure his contract with a pay bump to help balance his 2026 salary with the current market. He’ll then do Myles Garrett things on the field and help the team perform well above expectations. With their favorable second-half schedule filled with home games, a 10-win season isn’t out of the question for this team — as long as they hit the trade deadline at or around .500.
It’s unlikely that Garrett finishes his career in Cleveland. Fans have rationalized that by now. That doesn’t mean a move is imminent, though.
Garrett, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, has stated that he’s all-in with the Browns as long as the focus is on winning. Despite some serious awkwardness this offseason, the smart money’s on him giving Monken a chance this year.
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