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It's no secret that the Cleveland Browns superstar defensive end Myles Garrett is a beast in the trenches. He's played like an elite pass rusher throughout his entire career so far and doesn't look like he'll be slowing down anytime soon. So much so, he even compared himself to Shaquille O'Neal for how the referees treat him.
According to Pro Football Talk, Garrett believes NFL referees treat him differently as he complained about multiple holding calls being missed in Thursday night's game. He went as far as to say, “The refs are kinda giving me the Shaq treatment right now.”
This of course is referring to how difficult it was for Shaquille O'Neal to draw fouls during his time in the NBA. O'Neal was a force of nature throughout his career and bullied his opponents in the paint. Many believe that due to Shaq's size and strength, referees would allow defenders to get away with playing more rough than usual.
It's an intriguing comparison, as Myles Garrett is a beast in his own right. The Browns have a stellar front seven, and Garrett plays a huge factor in the team's success. Similar to Shaq, Garrett is a force of nature for Cleveland's defense.
Not many offensive linemen can slow down Garrett, which makes sense as to why he feels he's receiving “the Shaq treatment.” Myles Garrett threw some shade at the NFL officiating crew from Thursday Night Football, stating “the refs will need to ‘get some new glasses' for him to get a holding call.”
After raising this concern, it'll be interesting to see how the NFL responds. Commissioner Rodger Goodell doesn't take criticism to the officiating crew lightly. However, all eyes will be on the Browns' next game, where they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Halloween. Will the referees call holding penalties? Or is this a moment for Myles Garrett to expose the poor officiating we've been witnessing this season?
