Browns' DE Myles Garrett to stay in Cleveland: this is the record-breaking contract for the defensive end

For a while, it looked like Myles Garrett was ready to pack his bags and head out of Cleveland. You wouldn’t have blamed him. After all, the Browns just wrapped up a miserable 3-14 season, and Garrett — at the peak of his career — made it clear he wasn’t eager to sit through another rebuild. The four-time All-Pro and reigning Defensive Player of the Year even went as far as formally requesting a trade on February 3, making it known his ambitions were bigger than what the Browns were offering.

“I want to compete for and win a Super Bowl,” he said at the time — and from the outside, it seemed like Cleveland wasn’t where that was going to happen anytime soon. Especially when reports surfaced that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam had declined to meet with Garrett to discuss the situation, instead sending him to negotiate with General Manager Andrew Berry.

• Lamar Jackson’s not-so-cryptic retweet to Garrett

How much is Garrett’s new contract?

But in the NFL, money talks — and the Browns just handed Garrett a four-year extension worth $40 million per year and $123.5 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN. That makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The deal also includes a no-trade clause, giving Garrett full control over his future.

The Browns didn’t announce terms, but this contract surpasses the $106.5 million deal Maxx Crosby just signed with the Raiders. And given that Garrett racked up 14 sacks last season, is a four-time All-Pro, and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, it’s no surprise they chose to pay up rather than lose their star.

For now, Garrett stays in Cleveland, under a deal that runs through 2030. Whether the Browns can build a contender around him is another story.

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