At this time last year, Myles Garrett was the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. He had just signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the Cleveland Browns that included over $123.5 million in guarantees, tying him to the franchise through the 2030 season.
It’s barely taken 365 days for Garrett to be due a sizable raise.
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year has been the subject of widespread trade speculation after he curiously agreed to modified language in his contract last month. After news of Will Anderson’s market-setting deal with the Houston Texans, Garrett suddenly has enough leverage to put the Browns in an uncomfortable situation.
According to the contract details reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Friday, Anderson’s new extension dwarfs Garrett’s — and it's only a three-year deal. The 24-year-old landed $150 million in max value, with a whopping $134 million guaranteed.
In a little over a year, Garrett’s dropped from the highest-paid non-quarterback in the game to seventh on that list behind Anderson, Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, T.J. Watt, and Ja’Marr Chase.
On one hand, it shows strong foresight by GM Andrew Berry and the Browns. Garrett’s 2026 cap number is just $23.4 million, per Spotrac, and he’s set to earn $31.5 million in cash this season. For a player who just broke the NFL’s all-time single-season record for sacks with 23, those numbers represent major bargains.
On the other hand, Garrett now holds all the leverage, and it will be interesting to see his next move if another contract adjustment isn't agreed upon in the near future.
Myles Garrett suddenly has all the leverage over the Browns
This was always going to be a tricky offseason for Berry and the Browns’ front office, as they’re still managing the final year of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s fully-guaranteed deal from 2022. Cleveland restructured Watson’s deal earlier this offseason for salary cap relief, but he’s still set to earn an unavoidable salary of $46 million in 2026.
As it stands, the Browns are scheduled to pay Watson, Garrett, and cornerback Denzel Ward a combined $97.5 million in cash this year, per Spotrac. Berry still has plenty of levers he can pull to make the salary cap numbers work, but it’s the real cash output that could potentially stall additional contract talks with Garrett this summer.
Garrett remained away from the Browns’ facility as head coach Todd Monken opened Phase 1 of his offseason program in Berea earlier this month. As a first-year head coach, Monken is permitted to host a veteran minicamp from April 21-23, right before draft weekend. Berry confirmed to reporters this week that minicamp workouts can include 11-on-11 work.
Browns fans were already expecting Garrett to skip those voluntary spring workouts, as he did throughout Kevin Stefanski’s tenure. The question bubbling beneath the surface now is: Would he report to the mandatory portion of the program without another contract adjustment?
It all comes down to owner Jimmy Haslam, who’s been adamant about Garrett remaining in the team’s long-term plans, despite its ongoing rebuild. Time will tell if he’s willing to put his money where his mouth is.
How the Browns could make a 2026 pay raise for Myles Garrett work
The Browns could look to extend Garrett’s current contract beyond the 2030 season with additional years, and use a new signing bonus to make Garrett whole in 2026. That could be an expensive move, though, and Garrett’s already entering his age-31 season.
The more logical move would be for the Browns to essentially guarantee the remainder of Garrett’s contract. His current deal has matching non-guaranteed base salaries of $38 million in both 2029 and 2030, per Over the Cap. Cleveland could guarantee those salaries, reward Garrett with a $20 million-plus pay bump this year in the form of a bonus, and prorate the cap dollars for minimal impact to the team’s 2026 cap situation.
The only substantial hit would be to Haslam’s wallet. But if the Browns really don’t plan to trade the face of their franchise this summer, addressing Garrett’s contract just became a top priority in light of Anderson’s new deal.
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