The Cleveland Browns might have a lot of problems ahead of the 2025 season, but one won’t be their star EDGE rusher holding out for contract negotiations. The Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson are at odds with each other as is T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the Browns, well they got that one covered.
I guess it worked out that Garrett demanded his trade shortly after the season ended, putting pressure on the Browns to make a decision early rather than delaying it to now. Maybe he did want to be in Cleveland after all. It’s one less distraction for a team full of them.
The Browns have way too much to worry about when it comes to who their quarterback for the season’s going to be, who’s going to get traded and released and how they’re going to be competitive with one of the worst offensive rosters in the NFL. Nonetheless, they don’t have the distraction of keeping their best player happy, something their AFC North rivals can’t all empathize with.
The Cleveland Browns avoid mandatory minicamp distraction after Myles Garrett’s big offseason payday
Garrett signed a four-year, $160 million deal with more than $123 million guaranteed. It made him the league's highest paid EDGE rusher. After he signed, Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa inked lucrative deals too. This makes Watt and Hendrickson’s holdout a lot more serious when you take into account the money they’re going to be demanding.
The Bengals put themselves in a tough situation by paying both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase this offseason. That’s because with those contracts, they made it clear they’re willing to pay the players they have high value in. Avoiding Hendrickson’s extension is drawing a line in the sand that he’s not as valuable as the offensive weapons.
Watt’s situation is a bit different in the sense that the Steelers have no reason not to pay him. He’s been one of the most destructive EDGE rushers in recent history. He’s earned whatever he’s asking and an elite EDGE is paramount in championship hopes.
This is the domino effect of players getting big pay days and the longer they hold out, the more expensive each player is going to get. Micah Parsons has an extension upcoming, as does Aidan Hutchinson. If those deals get done, that’s just upping the cost to keep them around.
Cleveland doesn’t have to worry about that, which is a good thing for a team with a lot of other pressing issues. It’s crazy to say this, but the Steelers and Bengals could learn a thing from the Browns on how to handle their star defenders.