MYLES GARRETTÂ COULDN’TÂ lift his left arm high enough to put on a shirt.
After wincing through several attempts, the Cleveland Browns’ All-Pro defensive end went searching the Denver Broncos visitors locker room for help. He finally found a trainer, who pulled the long-sleeved white shirt over Garrett’s head before placing his ailing shoulder — the cause of his troubles — in a sling.
Five days later, Garrett walked across UCLA’s practice field, able to lift the shoulder enough to sip on a protein shake. He hadn’t missed a game all season. And he wouldn’t miss the next one against the Los Angeles Rams, either, despite the pain he was experiencing.
“Don’t find an excuse, find a way,” Garrett told ESPN. “At the end of the day, there’s going to be a winner and a loser. No one’s going to look back and say, ‘Oh, he was hurt, or he felt like this, or he was going through that.’ All they see is the box score and who came out on the right side of things.”
This year, the Browns have taken on Garrett’s resilience, shaped by a string of promising seasons thwarted — from the notorious 2019 helmet swing against the Pittsburgh Steelers, to the car accident that left him with a shoulder sprain that never fully healed last season.
Garrett had been derailed enough. He wasn’t about to allow it to happen again. And he vowed that this season, he wouldn’t be denied, no matter what.
“Not allowing anything to stop me,” Garrett said of his mindset this season. “It’s all about being relentless.”
One snag after another prevented Garrett from reaching his ultimate potential in past seasons. But Garrett also came to the realization that, in some ways, he was holding the Browns back from reaching theirs, too. Sacking the quarterback alone wasn’t enough. Past teammates grumbled about Garrett’s lack of leadership, both privately and publicly. He showed up late to meetings, which affected his ability to lead.
To become a true contender, the Browns needed their introverted and laidback superstar to set the tone off the field, as well: Mentor younger players; become a vocal leader; be the example for the locker room; show up on time; speak up in the meeting room; elevate the play of teammates. He knew he had to be relentless in that, too.
On Saturday, the Browns will make their third postseason appearance in three decades when they visit the Houston Texans (4:30 p.m. ET, NBC). After season-ending injuries to several key players, including Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb and quarterback Deshaun Watson, and while starting five different quarterbacks, Cleveland finished with 11 regular-season wins, tied for the most by the franchise since 1986.
Ask nearly anyone in the organization — players, coaches, front office personnel — and they will say Garrett is the biggest reason the Browns are in this position and have been able to overcome so much.
Garrett had always been a dominant individual pass-rusher. But according to those same people in the organization, this year he’s grown into that leader who has helped transform the Cleveland defense into a dominant unit. In turn, the Browns have emerged as a legitimate threat to reach their first Super Bowl.
“He’s taken that next step as a leader and foundational piece for this franchise,” said linebacker Anthony Walker, whom, along with Garrett, the players voted a defensive captain in the preseason. “You see it now. A lot of guys stepping up and making plays. That’s a testament to him. … That’s the difference.
“And nothing stopping him now.”
IN JULY, RETIRED defensive tackle Malik Jackson called Garrett out on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
“I don’t think his leadership skills were the best,” said Jackson, who played for the Browns in 2021. “He needs to take that bull by the horns and just lead more by example as far as in the classroom because we all know what he can do on the field. But to be able to go in the classroom, command that respect, and tell guys what to do is really where I think he really needs to take that jump. … [But] some guys just don’t have it.”
Leading into last year’s final game, then-Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney told Cleveland.com he wouldn’t be re-signing because the team was “trying to get [Garrett] into the Hall of Fame instead of winning games.”
According to multiple sources, Garrett was late to meetings, which irked veterans like Jackson. He once blew off a meeting altogether, which especially bothered Clowney and Jackson. Garrett’s casual approach ultimately affected his ability to lead.
