Myles Garrett’s extraordinary individual performance on Sunday once again highlighted a frustrating truth for the Cleveland Browns: even their superstar’s brilliance can’t carry the team to victory. In a game that saw Garrett deliver a dominant, franchise-record five sacks and force a fumble, the Browns still fell 32-13 to the New England Patriots, dropping to a disheartening 2-6 record on the season. Garrett’s achievement was historic—only 19 players in NFL history have ever recorded five sacks in a single game, and teams with such performances have overwhelmingly won their games, going 16-3 prior to Sunday. Yet, Garrett’s Browns lost by a wide margin of 19 points, underscoring the wider struggles that have plagued the franchise since his arrival.
Throughout the game, Garrett was a relentless force. He overcame double teams and dominated one-on-one matchups, wreaking havoc on Patriots quarterback Drake Maye from both sides of the defensive line. He even chased down Maye, a notably athletic quarterback, multiple times. Despite these efforts, the Browns’ offense failed to keep pace, a recurring theme that has fueled Garrett’s visible frustration. Late in the game, Garrett’s emotions boiled over as he slammed his helmet in frustration, a moment that captured the sentiment of not just the game, but the Browns’ season as a whole.
After the game, Garrett sat alone on the bench as the clock wound down, his demeanor reflecting his disappointment. When asked about the team’s ongoing offensive struggles that continue to prevent wins, Garrett was blunt. “It doesn’t get any easier each week you ask me,” he said, emphasizing the team’s difficulty in creating a successful offense. Regarding his own standout performance, he was equally candid: “I would throw the whole performance away for a win.” For Garrett, individual accolades mean little if the team cannot translate effort into victories.
The Browns’ woes are not new. Since drafting Garrett first overall in 2017, the team has compiled a dismal 55-84-1 record—one of the worst in the NFL over that span—and made the playoffs only twice. The franchise has struggled to find stability at quarterback, cycling through 15 starters during this period. With rookie Dillon Gabriel struggling, there’s little indication that the Browns will be seeking a 16th starter anytime soon, as head coach Kevin Stefanski has expressed commitment to sticking with Gabriel after the upcoming bye week. This instability has only deepened Garrett’s frustration.
Garrett’s dissatisfaction with the Browns’ direction became public earlier this year. In February, he requested a trade, signaling that he wanted to move on from Cleveland to pursue his ultimate goal: winning a Super Bowl. In a statement, Garrett explained that while he loved the city of Cleveland and its fanbase, his competitive drive demanded that he seek a team with a better chance at championship success. This request came shortly after Browns general manager Andrew Berry affirmed that the team had no plans to trade Garrett and envisioned him finishing his career in Cleveland and ultimately entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
The tension escalated when reports surfaced that Garrett was unwilling to sign a contract extension and that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam would not meet with him. There was even speculation that Garrett might sit out games in protest. However, just days later, Garrett and the Browns reached an agreement on a four-year, $160 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at the time, with an average annual salary of $40 million. This record was later surpassed by Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys, who secured an even larger contract after being traded to the Green Bay Packers.
Despite the lucrative extension, Garrett’s frustration has not abated. His recent outburst and comments after Sunday’s loss suggest that the simmering dissatisfaction with the Browns’ performance remains. With the NFL trade deadline approaching, speculation has naturally arisen about whether the Browns might trade their star pass rusher. However, a closer look at the situation indicates that such a move is highly unlikely this season.
One major obstacle to trading Garrett is the financial impact. His contract structure means that moving him would trigger a massive dead cap hit of nearly $68 million for the 2026 season. To put this into perspective, the largest dead money charge in NFL history belongs to Russell Wilson, who cost the Denver Broncos $53 million in dead money when they parted ways with him. Trading Garrett now would saddle the