Myles Garrett is guaranteed up to $100 million on next contract
Myles Garrett is set to make a fortune on his new deal.
The Cleveland Browns have decided to make Myles Garrett a rich man.
News dropped Tuesday afternoon that the team and the former No. 1 overall pick were close to reaching a five-year, $125 million deal. The initial word is he will get $50 million guaranteed at signing, while another $50 million is essentially guaranteed as well.
Myles Garrett gets his money
This contract structure makes Garrett the highest-paid defender in the league in terms of annual money as he edges out the $23.5 million Khalil Mack is making per year on his deal in Chicago. $100 million guaranteed also tops Mack’s mark of $90 million.
Getting $50 million up front is just insane money. But the Browns are also confident enough to include another $50 million in guarantees for a player who has appeared in a total of 37 games in his first three NFL seasons.
There is also the fact that Garrett is just coming off what was an indefinite suspension for bashing Mason Rudolph over the head with a helmet last season. However, Browns ownership stood behind him the entire time, and there seemed to be no doubt an extension was coming soon.
The former 2017 No. 1 overall pick has 30.5 career sacks and made the Pro Bowl during the 2018 season. He also finished second-team All-Pro that year.
Garrett has shined when he has been both healthy and available. 2017 featured a nagging ankle injury and 2019 was when he received his suspension. It was still clear to see how the defense struggled once he was suspended last year, and locking him up on a new deal allows the front office to build around him on a long-term basis.
The Browns have had trouble just keeping first-round picks around for a second deal. Handing out this type of extension is new for Browns fans and finally puts the team on the same level as other NFL franchises. A top player is being retained and he is being paid accordingly.