What does Myles Garrett need to do for his contract to be worth it?
What does Myles Garrett need to do to show to prove he is worth what the Browns paid him?
When the Cleveland Browns held the number one overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, they passed on taking a quarterback (they could have had Patrick Mahomes, but that’s a story for another day) and went with the Texas A&M pass rushing wonder Myles Garrett.
Three years later, Garrett has signed to a five-year extension worth $125 million. That’s obviously a lot of money, but Garrett has been a tremendous addition to the Browns defense and was definitely worthy of an extension.
Sometimes though, players get paid and then aren’t the same kind of player they were that got them that money. Garrett needs to avoid falling into that category.
Cleveland Browns need to make a Super Bowl run in the next few years.
It’s harder to really make a huge impact with a team on the defensive side of the ball due to how offensive-heavy the NFL is now, but we’ve seen it before. The best defensive players in the league are ones who can help get their team to the postseason and make their presence known.
We saw it with Von Miller the year the Broncos won the Super Bowl in the 2015 season. We saw it with Chris Jones this past season when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. J.J. Watt of the Texans has been a huge part of the team when the Texans have made it into the playoffs.
It’s absolutely possible and that’s what needs to happen for Garrett’s contract to be worth it. He needs to not only notch double digit sacks every year, but he has to be the one that when the game is on the line and the other team is close to scoring makes a play and helps the Browns win the ball game.
Garrett recorded double digit sacks in each of the past two seasons and he’ll need to continue being that kind of player. He’s a beast along Cleveland’s defensive line and that won’t change.
The Browns had all of the hype in the world surrounding them entering the 2019 season and they disappointed. While a lot of that fell on the offense’s shoulders, Garrett’s suspension at the end of the season didn’t help. He can’t have another situation like that arise again no matter what happens on the field.
Next. Browns can't settle for less than making the playoffs. dark
If Myles Garrett can be the reason the Browns get back to the playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years, he’ll be a legend in Cleveland forever.