Browns' Stefanski: 'I Expect' Myles Garrett to Remain with Team amid NFL Trade Rumors

The Cleveland Browns are either serious about not granting Myles Garrett's trade request, or they're doing a good job trying to drive up his price around the NFL.

Speaking to reporters from the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said "I expect" Garrett to be on the team in 2025 and beyond because he's "part of the present" and "part of the future" for the organization.

Garrett released a statement on Feb. 3 announcing he has formally requested a trade from the Browns.

General manager Andrew Berry has said multiple times that he's not interested in trading Garrett. He said in January that they wouldn't consider a deal even if a team was offering multiple first-round draft picks.

In the immediate aftermath of the trade request, Berry said the Browns "envision [Garrett] going from Cleveland to Canton when his career is over."

Addressing the situation again at the combine on Tuesday, Berry noted the Browns' "stance really has not changed."

The Browns are in a tricky position with their star defensive end. It certainly makes sense they would want to keep him because he remains one of the best all-around defenders in the NFL and won't turn 30 until Dec. 29.

There's a lot of discussion right now about what the Browns' approach in the draft will be, as they own the No. 2 overall pick. They certainly need a quarterback, particularly a cost-effective one, with Deshaun Watson set to count $72.9 million against the cap in each of the next two seasons.

If the Browns don't like any of the quarterback options at the top of the draft, their options in free agency or via trade could include Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

None of those three players are significant needle-movers at this point in their career. Garrett is only under contract for two more seasons. His value should remain high going forward because he's that good, but it's unlikely to be higher than it is right now given his age.

The Browns could potentially fast-track a rebuild by dealing Garrett this offseason with the amount of draft assets they could bring back in return. Of course, the odds of drafting a player as good as Garrett is low.

It's a difficult position for an organization in need of a lot of talent to be in. The Browns are coming off a 3-14 record in 2024, their most losses in a single season since the winless 2017 campaign.

Garrett, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, has recorded 102.5 sacks in 117 games over eight seasons in the NFL.