Myles Garrett: It’s never been about money, it’s always been about winning

Myles Garrett went public with his trade request right at the start of Super Bowl week and made it seem like he didn't want to play another down for the Browns.

But now he'll be in Cleveland for the foreseeable future after agreeing to a contract that will reportedly pay him an average of $40 million per year.

Garrett had a press conference on Friday to discuss the extension, telling reporters that the constant communication with General Manager Andrew Berry led him to get back on board with the franchise.

And given the result of the discussions, Garrett doesn’t regret requesting out.

“I think I had some frustration and I feel like that helped us grow and have conversations that were difficult, but needed to be had,” Garrett said. “And that created a little bit more discourse, helped build some relationships, and reaffirm them. And now I feel like we’re in a better place and now we can move on and grow from there.”

He also doesn’t regret the media tour he went on at radio row during the run-up to Super Bowl LIX.

“That created conversation between myself and AB, Jimmy [Haslam] — up and down the chain,” Garrett said. “And that kind of stuff became a main variable for this deal getting done, these conversations down the road. I think the fans will see that my heart is in the right place.

“It’s never been about money — it’s always been about winning. That’s where my frustration lies.”

With an unsettled quarterback situation, it doesn’t seem particularly likely that Cleveland is set to contend in 2025. So what happens if and when the club doesn’t have success?

“If there’s struggles, we go through it,” Garrett said. “We’ve went through struggles in the past. As long as we’re set on that being the goal, everyone’s main force has shown that it is, I continue to try to find a way to get the most out of my teammates, this organization. I feel like this isn’t just for me to be a player on the field. It’s for me to be a main focal point, an elevator for everyone in this building.”

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 draft, Garrett is entering his ninth season at the age of 29. His contract extension means he’s likely to end his career with Cleveland and he’s just fine with that.

“That’s always been my plan from the very beginning,” Garrett said. “I’ve wanted to stay with the team I was drafted with. I’ve always, like I said before, wanted to bring a championship here. So, that’s something that has meant a lot to me — even when I was coming up from high school to college, being that one-team guy, and having a place that feels like him. You ingrain yourself in the community.

“And the Canton part sounds great — players want to be in the Hall of Fame. That’s a tremendous individual award. But communities and cities remember championships and that’s what I want to do.”