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Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett is focused on winning.
Myles Garrett hasn’t spoken with new Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken yet, but when they finally connect, Garrett plans to emphasize one priority above all else — winning.
The Browns limped to a 5-12 finish last season, once again falling short of the postseason. Garrett, meanwhile, delivered a historic campaign, setting an NFL single-season record with 23 sacks and earning his second Defensive Player of the Year award.
Despite building a resume worthy of Canton, Garrett’s focus hasn’t wavered. A Super Bowl remains the standard he’d like to pursue. That pursuit fueled his trade request last offseason, when he made it known he wanted to play for a contender. Instead, Garrett agreed to a $160 million extension that ties him to Cleveland through 2030.
With a change at the top with Monken replacing Kevin Stefanski, Garrett said he plans to address that mindset with his new head coach.
“I haven’t had any conversations yet (with Monken). I’ll be going back in a couple of weeks, and I plan to hash all that out when I get there,” Garrett told DJ Siddiqi of Casino Guru News. “But as far as the drive to win, that’s paramount. That’s always been bigger than any individual record for me or accomplishment. That’s what I try to instill into my guys on the team, especially on defense. Now as much as we want to get sacks, we want to make plays. We’ve got to do whatever it takes to win.”
Browns Defense Under New Leadership
Garrett and the Browns’ defense will have a new coordinator. Jim Schwartz resigned after being passed over for the head coaching job. Cleveland hired Mike Rutenberg to replace him. Rutenberg previously served as the Atlanta Falcons defensive pass game coordinator and has 14 years of NFL experience in various roles.
Rutenberg isn’t being asked to overhaul anything on the defensive side of the ball. Garrett and the Browns’ defense were among the NFL’s elite last season, allowing just 283.6 yards and 22.3 points per game.
“He’d been in a similar system, but not the exact system because Jim (Schwartz) was unique,” Monken said. “They can say attacking style, but then there’s attacking style, which is what they’ve done here up front. And I think that background of being a four-down attacking style, but not exact, (and) to add some things that they had done before that I thought would mesh really well with the current staff, was a big part of that. And I thought his energy, his ability to teach, his juice, I mean, it popped. It was what I was looking for.”
Browns DE Myles Garrett Not Interested in Rebuild
The Browns don’t appear close to contender status. When that reality is paired with significant coaching turnover, it has fueled renewed speculation that Garrett could eventually be on the move. Garrett was particularly close with Schwartz and supported him as a head-coaching candidate.
Still, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam pushed back on the idea that Garrett’s commitment to Cleveland is wavering.
“I love Myles, okay? I haven’t talked to him since the day after the season, but I’m highly confident Myles will come in here and break the sack record again and be the Defensive Player (of the Year),” Haslam said.
Garrett made it clear at the end of the season that he plans to be fully invested in the Browns, so long as he believes the organization shares his urgency and commitment to building a winner.
“I’m committed to winning, and long as the team organization are doing so and they’re committed to that same thing, then I’m all on board,” Garrett said. “But if we’re thinking anything other than winning — tanking or rebuilding, that’s not me.”
The Browns hold the No. 6 and 24 picks in the draft. Those are significant assets as they look to reshape their roster.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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