Jim Schwartz on Myles Garrett's extension: 'With great power comes great responsibility'

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18 hours ago

BEREA — Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz isn't going to make a big deal about Myles Garrett's absence at a voluntary OTA. However, he made it clear he believes that something else Cleveland's All-Pro defensive end did in the offseason carries much more weight going forward.
Garrett, who was not at the Browns' second open OTA, turned a very public roughly monthlong dispute with the Browns over a trade request into what is now the largest contract ever for a defensive end and the second-largest contract for a non-quarterback. The four-year, $160 million deal, to Schwartz, doesn't just set the bar for what other pass rushers will aspire to make.
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"Yeah, I really think Myles is going to have the best season of his career, and has to, right?" Schwartz said at the Browns OTA on Wednesday, June 4. "You know, I mean, and I've told him before, what's that Spider Man quote? 'With great power comes great responsibility,' right? That's with the big contract, with the notoriety that came along with that, you know, with the process that took to get him to that point."
That's not a defensive coordinator talking tough toward his star edge rusher. That's one who has already seen what Garrett can do when he's motivated over the last two seasons, when he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and was a finalist for the award in 2024.
It's why Schwartz is more than comfortable acknowledging the reality that exists for Garrett as he enters his ninth season, during which the Browns' franchise sack leader will turn 30.
"There's always pressure in this league, but probably a little bit more so," Schwartz said. "And I think that that brings out the best in players. I know that'll be the case with Myles.'
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Garrett made his personal dissatisfaction first known publicly in late December, but that didn't lead to an actual trade request until Feb. 3, the Monday before the Super Bowl. Despite the public nature of the request, and a Super Bowl week media tour that included multiple national shows, the Browns held firm on not wanting to honor the request.
The Sunday before the start of free agency, March 9, what seemed on the outside to be a Cold War between future Hall of Famer and his organization came to an agreement with the extension. The only deals worth more on average than Garrett ($40 million a year) belong to either quarterbacks, or Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who signed a four-year, $161 million extension ($40.25 million a year) a week after Garrett.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates a fumble recovery against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland.
Browns linebacker Jordan Hicks is taking the all's-well-that-ends-well approach to the whole saga.
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"You hear it," Hicks said Wednesday, June 4. "I've been around long enough to know everything works out the way it's supposed to for guys like that, and [I] was happy for him when it all did. Obviously, me coming back, it's exciting to have him here, right? It makes my job a lot easier."
Garrett is coming off a season in which he rewrote NFL history for sacks, which became an official stat in 1982. He became the first player to post at least 14 sacks in four consecutive seasons when he sacked Miami Dolphins QB Tyler Huntley in Week 17, which came after he had joined Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as the only players to post at least 12 sacks in five consecutive seasons the week before.
The same time he joined Taylor in that exclusive club, Garrett also became the youngest player to join the 100-sack club with a takedown of Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow. The six-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro has 102.5 career sacks, and his 14 in 2024 were second behind the Cincinnati Bengals' Trey Hendrickson's 17.5.
The previous season, Schwartz's first as Browns defensive coordinator, Garrett won Defensive Player of the Year despite base numbers of just 14 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery that may not have jumped off the page. However, it was plays like the blocked field goal on which he jumped over the Indianapolis Colts offensive line that showed why raw numbers don't speak to Garrett's true impact.
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Chris Easterling can be reached at [e-mail]. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns DC Jim Schwartz sees big season for Myles Garrett with new deal