The Cleveland Browns are close to reaching a five-year, $125 million agreement with defensive lineman Myles Garrett, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Rapoport notes that extending Garrett was the Browns' “top priority” this offseason and that negotiations are in “the final stages.”
Garrett is coming off of a 2019 campaign in which he registered 29 tackles, 10 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. The star pass rusher was limited to 10 games after being suspended for his role in a Week 11 brawl between Cleveland and the Pittsburgh Steelers when Garrett ripped the helmet off of Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and then hit him over the head with it.
Garrett was suspended indefinitely. He was reinstated by the NFL earlier this offseason.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Texas A&M, was originally selected by the Browns with the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He played in 11 games during his rookie campaign, finishing with 31 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Garrett then broke out the following season, appearing in every contest and racking up 44 tackles, 13.5 sacks and three forced fumbles en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Cleveland was one of the league's most disappointing teams in 2019.
Due to a busy offseason in which the Browns brought in talent on both sides of the football, Cleveland was pegged as a Super Bowl contender by many entering last season.
However, the Browns ended up winning just six games and missing the playoffs entirely, resulting in the firings of both head coach Freddie Kitchens and general manager John Dorsey. Cleveland hired Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry to replace both positions.