Browns' Myles Garrett Won't Stop Criticism of Refs: 'I Hope It Has a Positive Effect'

After calling the officiating of the Cleveland Browns' Sunday win over the Jacksonville Jaguars a "travesty," Browns defensive end Myles Garrett isn't backing down from his criticism of officials.

"Right now I'm not getting any calls, so it can't get much worse than that, but I hope it has a positive effect," Garrett said Friday, per NBC Sports' Michael David Smith. "I'm not trying to offend anybody. I just want them to do their job to the best of their ability."

Garrett said after the Browns' 31-27 win that officials had missed calls including holds, false starts and hands to the face, per the Chronicle-Telegram's Scott Petrak.

When asked if he had been disciplined by the NFL for his comments, Garrett declined to answer, per Smith.

"I've got a lot of respect for those guys, but we get scrutinized for the plays that we don't make, so someone has to hold them accountable for the plays, or the calls, they don't make," Garrett said after the game. "They need to be under the same kind of microscope as we are every single play."

Garrett added Friday that his criticism had been inspired by more than just officiating during Sunday's game.

"It had been something that had been stoked for a while last couple weeks, and then other rushers have been also dealing with the same thing," Garrett said, per 92.3 The Fan's Daryl Ruiter. "I can only speak for myself, but once you've got a whole position kind of fed up of how they're being treated, then you kind know something's kind of off."

Head coach Kevin Stefanski backed Garrett and his comments on Friday, per Ruiter.

"We're not the thought police," Stefanski said. "Our guys can voice their opinions."

Stefanski added that encouraging a close watch on the players blocking Garrett is "something I talk to the officials about every week leading up to the game," per the Akron Beacon Journal (h/t NBC Sports.)

Garrett, who has 13.0 sacks on the season, is in the middle of his first three-game sack drought since 2021. He will look to end that stretch this Sunday as the Browns take on the Chicago Bears at home.