Myles Garrett spent nine seasons in Cleveland, becoming one of the best defensive players of his generation. Apparently, that did not make him immune to a less flattering exit review.
Cleveland Radio Hosts Push Back on Myles Garrett Leadership Praise
ESPN’s Sarah Barshop published a feature piece on Monday detailing how Garrett is already “changing the culture” with the Los Angeles Rams, even while knee swelling has kept him off the practice field.
That framing did not sit particularly well with Ken Carman and Anthony Lima on “92.3 The Fan.”
Carman and Lima used the ESPN story as a jumping-off point for a much different assessment of Garrett’s time with the Cleveland Browns.
“It’s just funny to see that headline when the whole argument we’re making now is, ‘maybe we’re just better in the leadership department.'” Carman said during the radio segment. “No, they’re getting Myles Garrett, the all-time great pass rusher, and they’re getting a terrific leader.”
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Then came the line that turned the discussion from skepticism into a direct shot.
“He was not a terrific leader here, Anthony,” Carman said.
Lima agreed, and Carman quickly warned against “revisionist history.” Lima then floated a possible explanation: perhaps Garrett stopped investing as heavily once he believed Cleveland was no longer building a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
“It’s just funny to see that headline when the whole argument we’re making now is, ‘maybe we’re just better in the leadership department.’ No, they’re getting Myles Garrett, the all-time great pass rusher and they’re getting a terrific leader.”
“He was not a terrific leader… pic.twitter.com/hkHB3NtK3j
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 31, 2026
Carman was not willing to grant him that excuse. “Good leaders don’t do that,” he said.
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The distinction is important because nobody in Cleveland was questioning Garrett’s ability to wreck an offense. His 2025 season made that nearly impossible. Garrett set the NFL single-season record with 23 sacks and earned a 95.1 PFN EDGE Impact grade, ranking No. 1 among qualifying edge rushers.
Rams See the Version Cleveland Says It Did Not
Los Angeles paid accordingly in June, sending Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder, and a 2029 third-rounder to Cleveland for Garrett in the June trade. The irony is that leadership has become part of the conversation on both sides of the deal.
Verse has already been praised in Cleveland for his presence around younger teammates. Meanwhile, Barshop reported that Garrett has remained vocal and involved in Los Angeles despite missing 13 practices because of knee swelling. Rams outside linebacker Byron Young specifically credited Garrett with bringing another element to the club’s culture.
The Rams have been cautious with Garrett and have reported no setback, with the goal of having him ready for their Week 1 opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. Los Angeles also added another enormous personality to the defensive room Sunday when Aaron Donald came out of retirement.
None of that rewrites Garrett’s nine years in Cleveland, and that was essentially Carman and Lima’s point. The Rams can genuinely love what Garrett has brought to their building, while people who watched him daily with the Browns remember his leadership differently.
For a trade already loaded with star power and draft capital, both cities now appear to be arguing they received the better culture fit, too.
