Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry shifted the deadline on Myles Garrett’s massive option bonus to seven days before Week 1. The contractual tweak ignited a firestorm of speculation heading into the NFL owners’ meetings in Phoenix. Berry attempted to extinguish the flames when speaking to reporters. The general manager firmly declared his superstar defensive end is not going anywhere.
Berry told the media that Garrett is a career Brown and a face of the organization. “I think we’ve been very clear both past and present,” Berry said. “I understand all the questions. I’ll be honest, I don’t really want to waste the ton of breath.”
Those words sound definitive, but league veterans hear something entirely different.
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Garrett broke the NFL single-season sack record with 23 takedowns in 2025. The Browns finished a dismal 5-12. Garrett expressed frustration over the departure of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz at the end of the season. He noted he just wanted to win.
Cleveland recently reworked the contract of its franchise cornerstone. The front office moved the due date for significant option bonuses in 2026, 2027, and 2028 from March to late August. If the Browns trade Garrett before the new deadline, the acquiring team inherits the $29.2 million bonus.
The mechanical change provides Cleveland with unprecedented flexibility. A trade before the April draft previously forced the Browns to absorb the entire bonus. Pushing the deadline to late summer allows the acquiring team to inherit the financial hit.
Cleveland can now patiently wait for a contending roster to suffer an injury in training camp before demanding premium draft capital. Analysts around the league refuse to take Berry at his word. NFL analyst Bob Papa addressed the situation on “Airing It Out” on SiriusXM NFL Radio. He referenced a legendary coach to explain the front office dynamic.
“He did say, look, Myles Garrett is a Cleveland Brown for life,” Papa said. “But you know, like anything else, I always say — it’s a Parcells line — and it goes something like this: I reserve the right to change my mind.”
Papa noted that circumstances dictate decisions in professional sports. He compared the potential move to the Edmonton Oilers trading Wayne Gretzky.
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Former NFL quarterback Matt Simms agreed with his co-host, pointing out that shocking player movement is a constant feature of the league, recalling seeing Tom Brady play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“It is what it is until it isn’t,” Simms said. “And for him, first of all, great job just keeping his composure. I think just overall, they renegotiated the contract to where now there is a little bit more flexibility to move the player on from someplace.”
Simms acknowledged that Berry must publicly defend the organization. He can’t erode his leverage by admitting his best player is available. Changing the option bonus structure definitively cleared a path for a transaction.
“That being said, they did make room to potentially pivot if they need to, right?” Simms added. “If they feel like there’s something there to be had.”
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Cleveland recently proposed a rule change that would allow teams to trade draft picks five years out, rather than the standard three. Though the proposal was pulled on Monday, it aligned perfectly with a franchise preparing to unload a generational talent for an unprecedented haul of future assets. A front office committed to its current core does not advocate for long-term draft pick liquidity.
The Browns operate under new head coach Todd Monken. The franchise faces a massive rebuild after a five-win campaign. Keeping a 30-year-old pass rusher through his prime years makes little sense for a roster lacking immediate championship aspirations. Berry built an escape hatch into the Garrett contract, and the league fully expects him to use it.
