Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett requests trade

Myles Garrett, the Cleveland Browns defensive end and one of the most feared defenders in the NFL, has requested a trade after eight seasons with the team.

Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, cited winning as the reason. The Browns are coming off a 3-14 season.

“While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent,” Garrett said in a statement Monday.

“With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns,” he added.

Garrett, 29, is one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL. He is a six-time Pro Bowler, and he was the defensive player of the year in 2023.

Garrett has posted double-digit sack totals in all but one season, his rookie year in 2017. He finished 2024 with 14 sacks and three forced fumbles.

In his career, Garrett has 102.5 sacks in 117 games.

Despite his success, Cleveland has not been able to win consistently in the last eight seasons.

The Browns have made the playoffs only twice since they drafted Garrett, with only one postseason win. The team has finished under .500 every season it hasn’t made the playoffs in the last eight years, including a winless 0-16 campaign in 2017.

In January, general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at the Senior Bowl that the franchise was not interested in trading Garrett.

“We feel really good about [Garrett], obviously, as a big piece of our future,” Berry said. “We’re looking forward to him being on the field. Like I said in my press conference, we envision him going from Cleveland to Canton when his career is over.”

In the wake of Garrett’s request, the team’s stance on trading him hasn’t changed, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported.

Garrett has two seasons left on a five-year contract extension he signed in 2020.