Myles Garrett should shudder at the thought of Browns' plan becoming his new reality

This is no slight on the Cleveland Browns, just merely the facts. Since the Browns drafted defensive end Myles Garrett No. 1 overall out of Texas A&M in the 2017 NFL Draft, they have made the AFC playoffs twice. His draft classmate Patrick Mahomes has won three Super Bowl MVPs and has won the AFC five times in the last six years. To date, Cleveland is one of four teams who have never been.

So when I think about an all-time talent seemingly stuck in NFL Siberia, I wonder if Garrett is ever going to get out. With how well he has played for the better part of a decade now and for how consistently strong the Browns' defense has been with him being a vibrant part of it, Garrett feels like he is rapidly approaching eventual Canton enshrinement. Even the Cleveland front office agrees.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry talked about Garrett's team status while at the Senior Bowl.

"We feel really good about Myles obviously as a big piece of our future. We're looking forward to him being on the field. Like I said in my (early January) press conference, we envision him going from Cleveland to Canton when his career is over."

Berry is an excellent general manager, but the Browns can never seem to get out of their own way.

"I think you can assume that we do anticipate at some point doing a third contract with Myles. We want him to retire here."

Money talks, but it may take more than cash and team loyalty for Garrett to stay on a third contract.

Cleveland Browns want Myles Garrett to retire playing for the franchise

In theory, I do not really hate the idea of a guy going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot after having played for only one team. That could be the direction we are heading in when it comes to Garrett should he play out the entirety of his professional career in Cleveland. However, he is not Joe Thomas. Garrett is an incredible player, but he is not an all-time talent like Thomas was.

What I am getting at is winning will need to play a part in the second half or final third of Garrett's NFL career. Again, he is projecting towards being a Pro Football Hall of Famer, but winning championships is what the hall of fame voters lust about more than anything. Sometimes, it is entirely out of your control. Where you land matters, so overcoming adversity and dysfunction should be celebrated.

Ultimately, for as much as I would love to see Garrett achieve all of his NFL dreams in Cleveland, this franchise has done unspeakable things to the most important position on the field for the last several decades. Until the Browns have a real solution at quarterback worth believing in then I think it would be a fool's errand to stick around town if you have serious aspirations about every winning anything.

Garrett can do whatever he wants. Just know that the Browns are not going to want to see him leave.