Browns owner Jimmy Haslam expects Myles Garrett to "become a real leader" after $160,000,000 contract extension 

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam believes Myles Garrett will be the team's leader going forward.

Garrett signed a four-year, $160,000,000 extension with the Browns this offseason after requesting a trade. After re-signing with the team, Haslam expects Garrett to be a leader and a key part of the Browns roster.

"What we’ve challenged Myles on is, by his practice habits, by his actions, etc., to become a real leader of the team,” Haslam said on Monday at NFL Annual Meeting to a group of reporters, via Cleveland.com. “And he has said he’d do that and we’re hopeful that he will be.”

As Haslam says, Garrett should be a true leader of the Browns on and off the field and help the team, hopefully, get back into the playoffs.

Garrett is now 29 years old and was selected first overall by the Browns in the 2017 NFL draft. He was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and is a six-time Pro Bowler.

Browns had no desire to trade Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett asked for a trade in the offseason from the Cleveland Browns as he wanted to get a chance to win a Super Bowl.

However, after talking with the Browns' ownership and the front office, he ended up re-signing. Haslam, meanwhile, says they had no desire to trade the star pass rusher, despite his public request.

“We had a lot of conversations about it and there was never serious thought to trade Myles,” Haslam said. “What we know we have in Myles is a Hall of Famer. Myles just turned (29) if I remember, I think in December. He’s probably got five or six really good years in him and is a dominant player who coaches have to game plan for and we value that. We want him to stay here and retire with us, etc. So it was never really a serious thought.”

With the star defensive end re-signing, the hope for Haslam and the Browns is that he can help make the team a playoff team in 2025.

Myles Garrett recorded 14 sacks and 47 tackles with three forced fumbles last season with the Browns.

Cleveland went 3-14 and will have the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The Browns did make the playoffs in 2023 but had a disastrous 2024 season due to Deshaun Watson suffering a season-ending injury.