There are two ways for a generational, star player to handle a trade request from the Cleveland Browns. One way is to accept the trade and put yourself in a position to win a Super Bowl. The other way is to tell Peyton Manning to get lost and resign yourself to losing seasons the rest of your career.
This isn’t to say one way is right and the other is wrong, but that is the difference between Myles Garrett and Joe Thomas.
Those two together are both arguably the top-three player in the history of their respective position. They both were selected by the Cleveland Browns in the worst era of the franchise, and both of them left Cleveland with really nothing to show for it.
For Thomas, every time his career is mentioned, there is always a “but” following “the greatest left tackle of all-time.” People feel bad for him and always speak to him in that tone, even though he is the greatest Cleveland Brown ever.
For Garrett, his Cleveland career is over, but he is still very much in his prime. He joins the Super Bowl favorite, the Los Angeles Rams, with a chance to further cement himself as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
Whether they like it or not, these two will always be connected for having eerily similar careers for the worst franchise in modern sports.
Thomas took to social media on Tuesday to talk about the trade. He commented, saying that life in the NFL is not for long. People are always on the move, and he even acknowledged that this move, while tough to swallow, is the right move for Cleveland.
He said that he will always view Garrett as a Cleveland Brown, but welcomed Jared Verse with open arms.
It’s a weird and uncomfortable situation, but the Browns absolutely made the right move. The Myles Garrett era is over, and now the next era of Cleveland Browns football is here. Will Verse be the face of it? Maybe.
Regardless, the Browns are way better equipped for the future, and for Garrett, his eyes are directly on the Lombardi Trophy.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns’ legend Joe Thomas says goodbye, welcomes Jared Verse
Reporting by Anthony Moeglin, Browns Wire / Browns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Anthony Moeglin, Browns Wire | USA TODAY Network
