Myles Garrett made it clear before the end of the regular season that he has no intention of playing through another rebuild in Cleveland. Crucially, Garrett has asked the Browns for a concrete plan at quarterback after their disastrous 2022 trade for Deshaun Watson crippled the offense for much of the last three seasons. On the latest episode of Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North, Garrett revealed that he has discussed the Browns’ future with general manager Andrew Berry, who agreed that changes need to be made. The conversation appears to have warmed Garrett to the team’s direction.
“How are we gonna make the most of all the talent that is here?,” Garrett said. “We’re closer than some may think we are.”
Garrett has somewhat of a point. The Browns’ 3-14 record doesn’t reflect the talent of their roster, but it does represent their rudderless quarterback situation. In 2025, defenders like Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome will be back from injuries, while offensive playmakers like Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku can build on solid 2024 seasons.
Watson, meanwhile, re-tore his Achilles and could miss the entire season. The only Browns quarterback under contract in 2025 is former fifth-rounder Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is 1-4 as a starter with a career passer rating of 45.2 and completion rate of 52.6%. Bailey Zappe will be easy to retain as a restricted free agent, but he is a marginal upgrade on Thompson-Robinson at best.
The Browns will have to convince Garrett (signed through the 2026 season at $25MM per year) that they have a plan under center moving forward. Otherwise, he could demand a trade to facilitate his way out of Cleveland. Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- The Browns are facing a pivotal offseason for another longtime player: running back Nick Chubb. Berry made it clear that the team values Chubb and his contributions to the Browns over the seven years, but admitted that his pending free agency was a “challenging situation,” per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. Last offseason, when Chubb was under contract and recovering from his season-ending knee injury, the Browns got him to take a pay cut. Chubb is once again rehabbing an injury – this time a broken foot – but it shouldn’t cost him any of the 2025 season. That will give him more leverage in free agency negotiations, whether that be with the Browns or another team. Though, Chubb’s back-to-back injury-marred seasons will not help the…