Myles Garrett wants to end career with Browns but ‘not trying to rebuild’

Garrett’s thirst for meaningful games has rarely been quenched in eight years with the team that drafted him.

He joined Cleveland as the first overall pick in 2017, an infamous season in which the Browns became only the second team in NFL history to go 0-16.

A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Garrett has played in just three postseason games — two in 2020, when the Browns earned their first playoff win since 1994, and again last season, a lopsided 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans.

Despite the loss, the road trip after Week 18 provided optimism going forward, especially in light of going 11-6 with five starting quarterbacks.

This season started as it did, with Deshaun Watson leading the way under center, but he struggled as he has throughout his Cleveland tenure, suffering a season-ending injury for the second straight season. That left the Browns re-engaging in quarterback roulette at 1-6 with a shot at a playoff comeback gone. In the last seven games, it has been Jameis Winston. Sunday against the Bengals, it will be Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

While the defense has also fallen off, falling from 13th in scoring last year to 26th and plummeting from first to 18th in yards allowed, the offense has cratered even more. The unit, which finished 10th in points scored in 2023, is now third-worst in the league.

Much of that naturally comes down to inconsistency at quarterback.

“Absolutely,” Garrett said when asked if the plans he hopes to see include the QB spot. “Whether (Thompson-Robinson) is the solution or someone else is, it needs to be pulled out. There needs to be a plan of action.”

Garrett, who turns 29 in eight days, is laying all this out as he still has two more years left on his contract from the extension he signed in 2020.

Almost since his arrival, Garrett has been without a defensive straight on the Browns. If he wants to be keyed into plans — ones that involve winning again sooner rather than later — Cleveland would be wise to make it happen.

“I want to be a Cleveland Brown,” Garrett said. “I want to play here. I want to finish my career here. But if we choose to do a rebuild and it’s two, three, four years out, I want to be able to compete and play at a high level, play meaningful games and play last January.”