Earlier this offseason, it appeared that Myles Garrett was done with the Cleveland Browns. He had requested a trade and did not seem to be relenting in his demands, going very public with everything.
But eventually, the Browns handed Garrett a four-year, $160 million contract extension, and everything was fine. Apparently, a lot of money can solve problems. Who knew?
While Cleveland is certainly happy to have retained the former Defensive Player of the Year, the deal that the Browns had Garrett sign has caused major problems throughout the NFL.
How so? Well now, other elite pass rushers are seeing dollar signs, which is why top players such as T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson and Micah Parsons all remain without new pacts with their respective teams.
Former Browns cornerback Hanford Dixon touched on this on his show recently, saying that Garrett has now set a standard for pass rushers around the league.
Garrett's deal was a record breaker, as it made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. But a fairly wide margin, too.
The 29-year-old has been a menace to opposing offenses since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2017, making six Pro Bowl appearances while earning four First-Team All-Pro selections. Garrett has rattled off seven straight double-digit sack campaigns, topping out at 16 in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022.
Last season, the Texas A&M product racked up 47 tackles, 14 sacks and three forced fumbles, playing in every single game.
Will any of these other edge rushers and defensive ends ultimately top Garrett's deal? Perhaps Parsons has a chance, but even still, Garrett has made negotiations a heck of a lot more difficult for rival ballclubs.
