The Cleveland Browns need edge rusher Myles Garrett to make good on his new four-year, $160 million contract. They need him to play like one of the best defensive players in the sport and elevate a young defense along the way.
But do they need him to be at organized team activities (OTAs)?
Amongst the Cleveland faithful, that answer is still up in the air. Garrett wasn’t in attendance for the team’s recent bout of OTAs. Instead, he was in Japan, enjoying a well-deserved vacation.
Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot reacted to Garrett missing OTAs by revealing the simple truth about his attendance.
"Myles has really, truthfully, whether we like it or not, a little bit of a different set of rules than everybody else," Cabot explained on the “Orange and Brown Talk” podcast (h/t Zac Wassink). "And he has kind of earned that by being the best defensive player in the NFL, by earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023, by being on the road to the Hall of Fame, and by getting himself ready every single year to go out there and dominate."
It goes without saying that Garrett doesn’t need to be at OTAs to play well. Nothing in May is making a meaningful difference ahead of Year 9, especially for someone as accomplished as Garrett. As such, it isn’t about his performance as much as it is about his leadership.
In several circumstances, it would be reasonable to suggest that showing up for offseason workouts is necessary. It was a bad look when quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed practice with the New York Jets to vacation in Egypt. The team looking out of sorts for 17 games didn’t help that image. Other times, it could signal contract discontent and foreshadow future issues.
Fortunately for Cleveland, Garrett working in sync with his peers isn’t as important on the defensive line as it is under center. With his recent raise, the negotiating table isn’t a concern either.
Those wanting Garrett to be a better leader may not have to wait long, either. With training camp marked on the calendar and plenty of opportunities throughout the season, Garrett stands to make an impact between Sundays before wreaking havoc on game day.
Browns fans may not love that most of his leadership will come away from the cameras, but it’s worth giving Garrett the benefit of the doubt that there’s more to his presence than missing a rather meaningless workout.
