Myles Garrett’s Actions Are Speaking Louder Than His Words

It is particularly notable that Myles Garrett did not attend the Cleveland Browns’ first set of organized team activities (OTAs), even though he usually does not take part in voluntary workouts. Considering they have a new head coach in Todd Monken, it was thought that, as the team’s best player with a huge contract, Garrett could set an example just by showing up, even if he didn’t participate in drills.

Turns out, it goes much deeper than that. During OTAs, Monken admitted that he has not had a face-to-face interaction with Garrett, even though the All-Pro defensive end has been seen around the city multiple times.

Insider Jason Lloyd recently said he believes Garrett is sending a big message with his behavior, and it’s that he still wishes former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was hired over Monken instead.

“Myles told you he wanted Jim to get the job. You can say whatever you want, he’s sending a message. Minor thing, major thing, whatever. It’s a thing that he hasn’t met the head coach yet. He’s telling you without telling you how he feels about it. He’s made his emotions clear,” Lloyd said.

Ideally, a player with Garrett’s stature on his team and in this league would be above such things. It can’t be good for anyone that this situation has dragged on for months, into the Browns’ preseason preparations, so much so that Monken seemed visibly frustrated when asked about it.

Lloyd troublingly compared it to the situation the Cleveland Cavaliers faced when they hired David Blatt as their head coach in 2014. LeBron James reportedly wanted the Cavs to hire Mark Jackson, and James and Blatt did not meet until Blatt flew to New York to do so.

Thanks to James’ behind-the-scenes efforts, Blatt was fired during his second season, despite an 83-40 record and a trip to the NBA Finals. Under Tyronn Lue, the Cavs did manage to win their only NBA title in 2016.

This is not to say that this is where it’s headed for the Browns, though the fact that such a scenario is mentioned in the same breath is far from ideal. Add to it the trade rumors that were surrounding Garrett leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, and it’s clear this issue isn’t going away anytime soon.

Based on Monken’s no-nonsense attitude, he doesn’t seem likely to give in first, and Garrett has shown he is dug in as well, so it could take until training camp or beyond until the standoff is resolved.