The trade drama between the Cleveland Browns and Myles Garrett got much spicier this week.
After Garrett requested a trade from the organization on Feb. 2, the Browns responded by saying they have no intention of parting ways with the defensive star. On Friday, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam took things one step further and reportedly refused to speak to Garrett in the wake of his trade request, according to Tom Pelissero.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo gave a bit more context as to why Haslam has essentially cut off communication with Garrett:
“My understanding is, the reason that Haslam said no here is, ‘We know what the issues are, we know about the communication between your agent and Andrew Berry our general manager and our organization, the communication [between] both sides. You need to go to Andrew Berry on this,’” Garafolo said on Friday morning. “And he has full trust in Berry to handle this situation and basically redirected Garrett and his agent to Berry in this situation saying, ‘You’re not going to go around the general manager and come to me to get this thing done.’”
From @gmfb: #Browns owner Jimmy Haslam declined a meeting with Myles Garrett because he trusts GM Andrew Berry to handle the situation. More 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/iNMdzFAeqa
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 7, 2025
Garrett, who took home the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award just a season ago in 2023, currently has two years remaining on his deal in Cleveland. The 29-year-old expressed his desire to leave for a chance at winning the Super Bowl, as opposed to seeking a more lucrative deal.
The Browns, however, appear aligned across all levels of the organization in their goal to not let Garrett out of the building despite Garrett telling them he is not interested in a contract extension.
“Our stance really has not changed,” Berry said at the NFL scouting combine. “We’re not interested in moving him.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Browns Owner Reportedly Refuses to Speak to Myles Garrett Amid Trade Drama.
