Myles Garrett explains requesting trade from Cleveland Browns, desire to win a Super Bowl

Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns on Monday, making him the top name on the trade market entering the NFL offseason.

Garrett released a statement detailing his desire to get out of Cleveland. The 29-year-old wants to win a Super Bowl and doesn’t feel his vision currently aligns with the Browns’ immediate future, he explained during an appearance on ESPN‘s “Postseason NFL Countdown.”

“I just felt after taking some time after the season — using that time to decompress and talk with my family, consult with them, work through some feelings and emotions and also speaking with management at the Browns — I just felt like at this current time, I don’t feel like our future is aligned with winning right now,” Garrett said. “And that’s what I’m looking forward to doing at this stage in my career.

“I have a lot of love for northeast Ohio, a community that brought me into the league. But I want to get to contending and winning playoff games and having a chance to be in games like today [Super Bowl].”

Since entering the league in 2018 as the No. 1 overall pick, Garrett and the Browns have played in just three playoff games. As a franchise, Cleveland has made the postseason in just three seasons since the turn of the century. The Browns are one of four teams to have never appeared in the Super Bowl. And as things stand, Cleveland appears far away from competing for a Lombardi Trophy.

Myles Garrett reached out to LeBron James before requesting trade

The Browns went 3-14 this season and own the No. 2 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. Quarterback is once again Cleveland’s biggest need with Deshaun Watson suffering a second Achilles tear last month. Essentially, Cleveland is entering another rebuild. Garrett, who turns 30 next December, wants no part of that.

Garrett already has a Hall of Fame resume, with 102.5 sacks in eight seasons. A four-time All-Pro, Garrett won AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. He tallied 14.0 sacks this season, his seventh consecutive campaign with double-digit sacks.

Garrett isn’t the first Cleveland superstar to want out in search of something greater. Back in 2010, it was LeBron James. “The Decision,” as it became known, led James to the Miami Heat, where he won two NBA championships. Garrett said he spoke with James before requesting the trade, calling him a “valuable resource.”

“Over the last couple of years, LeBron has come to be a good friend and a valuable resource,” Garrett said. “He knows what it’s like to work through these thoughts and emotions that come with leaving a special community like northeast Ohio. And so, working through the decision was all on my own and something I have to do by myself, but just leaning on him as a resource and a friend was something that was valuable for that time.”