Myles Garrett Tells Browns 'Keep Betting on Me' After New $125M Contract

The Cleveland Browns made a big bet on defensive end Myles Garrett on Wednesday, signing him to a five-year, $125 million deal. 

And Garrett believes the team and the city of Cleveland should keep betting on him, as he said in a statement (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk):

"In 2017, the Cleveland Browns bet on me. This city quickly became my home and these people quickly became my family. I'm eternally grateful for this opportunity, the support of my friends and family, the organization, my teammates, the fans—I could go on forever, but even that wouldn't be enough time to express my gratitude. I'll just say this: Keep betting on me, Cleveland, because I won't let you down. Now, let’s get to work."

From a football perspective, the massive deal made sense for both sides. Garrett, 24, has posted 104 tackles (32 for loss), 30.5 sacks and 65 quarterback hits in 37 games across his first four seasons. He was a Pro Bowler in 2018 and was on his way to being one in 2019, with 10 sacks in his first 10 games. 

But he missed the final six games of the season to suspension after he pulled off Mason Rudolph's helmet during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, swinging it at the quarterback and hitting him in the head. 

That called into question whether Garrett would have a future in Cleveland. Garrett apologized for his actions, saying that they were preempted by Rudolph calling him a racial slur but noting that still didn't justify his actions. Rudolph has denied those accusations.

The NFL also found no evidence of Rudolph using a racial slur in its investigation of the altercation. 

Browns general manager and executive vice president of football operations Andrew Berry addressed the suspension while discussing Garrett's contract extension:

"It would be remiss of me not to address the fact that we are choosing to do this after a season during which Myles was suspended. Myles has been accountable for his mistake and we view the incident as well out of character. We don't believe one moment should define him based on how he has handled himself prior to and in the months after last year's incident. We are excited to ensure that Myles will stay in Cleveland for the foreseeable future."

The Browns placed a big bet on Garrett, and his play on the field has more than justified it. Now Garrett will set out to prove he was worth the gamble following his suspension.