CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Cleveland Browns signed Myles Garrett to a massive contract extension making him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history at $40 million per year, they weren’t just paying for sacks. They were investing in leadership.
The expectations couldn’t be clearer from the organization’s top brass. As cleveland.com Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot explained during a recent Orange and Brown Talk podcast: “His two bosses laid down huge challenges for him. Jimmy Haslam saying that we need him to be a real leader of this football team, and Jim Schwartz saying, I expect him to have his best season ever.”
These aren’t minor requests. They represent a fundamental shift in how the Browns view Garrett’s role within the organization. He’s no longer just the athletic phenom who terrorizes quarterbacks – he’s now expected to be the cornerstone around which the entire team rallies.
What makes this transition particularly interesting is Garrett’s apparent willingness to embrace these expanded responsibilities. After what many viewed as a contentious offseason that included trade rumors and critical comments following the team’s disappointing 3-14 finish, Garrett has seemingly accepted the challenge before him.
“Not only does he plan to become the real leader that Jimmy Haslam asked him to be, but he said, I have to lead the entire team. I need to be that guy,” Cabot reported from minicamp, where Garrett made his first appearance after skipping voluntary OTAs. “And I think he’s right about that right now because they don’t have a starting quarterback, so you can’t really expect one of those quarterbacks to lead the whole team.”
The timing of this leadership evolution is particularly significant. As Browns beat reporter Dan Labbe noted on the podcast, “Myles is the guy now. He’s not just the young superstar anymore. He is ... the guy that’s been there. He’s the guy that’s done that. And so, again, there’s that line with great power comes great responsibility. He’s got to be the veteran in the room because he is the veteran in that room.”
Indeed, Garrett now finds himself surrounded by younger players like rookies Mason Graham and Mike Hall Jr., who are looking to him for guidance. At 29, with eight NFL seasons behind him, Garrett has transitioned from being the prodigy to being the veteran – a change that requires a different mindset and approach.
Beyond the locker room leadership, the Browns have been explicit about wanting more game-changing plays from their star defender. While Garrett has consistently produced elite sack numbers, the organization is hungry for more turnovers and game-altering moments.
As Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock observed, “This idea of what can Myles do to take his game to even another level, which still sounds so funny to say because it’s Myles Garrett. But I do think there is something to that idea of him creating more takeaways.”
For a defense that struggled to generate turnovers last season, having their premier player focus on stripping the ball and creating those momentum-shifting plays could be the difference between a playoff run and another disappointing season.
The question now becomes: Can Garrett deliver on these lofty expectations? With his physical gifts and career trajectory, there’s little doubt he can continue to dominate statistically. But his ability to truly embrace the mantle of team-wide leadership – particularly after choosing to skip voluntary workouts – will be closely watched as the Browns enter a pivotal season.
What’s clear is that Garrett’s new contract comes with new responsibilities. As Cabot succinctly put it: “When you give someone $40 million a year and you set aside a very, very messy trade demand, you should expect all of those things from him.”
The investment has been made. Now comes the return.
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Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Orange and Brown Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.