Myles Garrett spent nine years with the Cleveland Browns. Hours after that time ended with his trade to the Los Angeles Rams, he took to Instagram to deliver a lengthy goodbye to the area.
“Nine years,” Garrett’s post begins. “It’s hard to put into words what that really means when so much of your life has been shaped in one place, around one team, and with one community behind you.
“From my very first play you embraced me, and I wanted to help bring winning back to city whose loyalty, resilience, and belief never wavered.
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“What I didn’t fully understand then was how much this city would shape me.
“Cleveland made me tougher. You challenged me. You taught me about perseverance, about showing up even when things aren’t easy, and what loyalty really looks like. Through the highs, lows, setbacks, injuries, expectations, inclement wether, and difficult seasons, you all kept showing up.
“I never took that for granted.”
Garrett was traded June 1 to the Rams in exchange for defensive end Jared Verse and three draft picks. Those draft picks are a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
The former No. 1 overall pick in 2017 out of Texas A&M University played on a pair of playoff teams in his nine seasons with the Browns. He heads to a team in the Rams that is now viewed as the clear favorite to win the Super Bowl.
Garrett won a pair of NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2023 and 2025. He also set the franchise record for sacks in a career (125.5), season (23) and game (five), and set the NFL single-season sack record in 2025.
“To the Dawg Pound–thank you for embracing my family and I from Day 1,” Garrett’s message continued. “Thank you for every packed stadium, every moment of belief, every kid wearing my jersey, every message, every criticism, every expectation. I respected that then and I respect it now. I wish I could have done more for you.
“To the Haslam family, my teammates, coaches, training staff, front office, and everyone inside the building in Berea–thank you. Football is the ultimate team sport, and I’ll always been grateful for the brothers I went to battle with and the people behind the scenes who pour themselves into this organization every single day.
“To Northeast Ohio–thank you for allowing me to be a part of this community beyond football. Through school visits, foundation work, events, and simply living life here, I saw firsthand the heart of this place. No matter where life or football takes me, this will always been a place I’m proud to call home.
“What I can say with complete honesty is this: I gave this city everything I had. I suited up and wore those colors with pride, and I don’t regret a second of being part of this storied franchise. Every Sunday. Every offseason. Every play. Every down. Every moment. You gave me more in return than I can ever repay.
“The best days for this franchise are ahead. Thank you for letting me grow here. Thank you for believing in me.
“Loving you is easy, leaving you is the hard part.
“Thank you for nine unforgettable years.”
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Myles Garrett to Browns fans: ‘I wish I could’ve done more for you’
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
