Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett has been enjoying his offseason.
Getty
Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett has been enjoying his offseason.
Myles Garrett is not in Berea but seems to be having a good time.
As the Cleveland Browns opened their Phase 1 offseason program this week, the NFL’s single-season sack record holder was notably absent. It’s continuing a familiar pattern for Garrett, although it has taken on an entirely different weight given everything that has happened since January.
While his teammates reported for the voluntary sessions, Garrett has been spending his offseason elsewhere, including a trip to Switzerland to be with his girlfriend and Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim.
Amid the conversation surrounding his absence, Garrett took to social media to share a different side of himself. The All-Pro defensive end — also an accomplished photographer — posted a series of images from his recent trip on his “Man of Tomorrow” account, a platform dedicated to showcasing his work away from the field, when he’s not wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
“Switz pt.2,” the post read.
Monken Addresses Myles Garrett’s Absence
There’s a good argument why Garrett should not have followed his typical routine this offseason. The Browns have a new head coach in Todd Monken, who is taking the place of Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland also parted ways with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who has been replaced by Mike Rutenberg. Monken addressed Garrett’s absence directly this week.
“Myles will be ready. I’m not worried about Myles,” Monken said. “This is voluntary for our players to be here. I think if you asked every coach in the NFL, would they like every player to be there? Of course. I think there’s certain parts of what we do from a connection standpoint that I think is important to be here, from a schematic standpoint. From a work standpoint? Not so much.”
Monken didn’t let Garrett fully off the hook. He also acknowledged the team chemistry that Phase 1 is meant to establish.
“It is our job to make it to where the guys want to be here,” Monken said. “Not just by the job, but by the development, the camaraderie, being part of a team. And hell, I’ve been a part of a team since I was 5 years old — there’s nothing like it. I wouldn’t miss it, because that’s me, that’s how I’m wired. But it is voluntary.”
Browns Star Myles Garrett Missing Out on Money
Garrett has skipped this portion of the offseason in recent years, opting instead to conduct his own workouts. His absence has never appeared to affect his production. He recorded 23 sacks in 2025, breaking the NFL single-season record previously shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
However, it will cost Garrett. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who reviewed a copy of Garrett’s contract, skipping the voluntary sessions will mean the star pass-rusher misses out on a $1 million workout bonus. While classified as guaranteed money, it must be earned to collect it. Garrett must participate in 84.375% of offseason workout sessions, attend all minicamp and OTA days, and report to training camp on time.
Garrett is currently on track to forfeit that bonus, which might not be a very notable development for a player earning $40 million per year thanks to the extension he signed last offseason.
But Garrett’s absence also does little to quiet the trade rumors that have been swirling since the Browns reworked his contract. But general manager Andrew Berry did his best to quiet that noise.
“If we wanted to trade Myles, we wouldn’t have needed to make a contract adjustment,” Berry said. “Myles is a career Brown. He is one of the faces of our organization.”
The next key date is on April 21, when the Browns hold a voluntary veteran minicamp.