Another member of the 2017 NFL Draft class might get paid soon. After the Carolina Panthers gave running back Christian McCaffrey a record extension in May, the Cleveland Browns are reportedly thinking about doing the same with defensive end Myles Garrett.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Browns and Garrett’s representatives recently engaged in contract talks and are discussing a “mega-extension” for the 24-year-old Pro Bowler.
Despite the fact that Garrett has two more years left on his deal, Fowler reports that Cleveland wants to do a deal early so they could get “ahead of a pricey pass-rush market.”
Myles Garrett, who was the first overall pick in 2017, is considered to be one of the best pass rushers in the NFL despite his short time in the league. Throughout the first three years of his career, Garret racked up 30.5 sacks despite starting only 35 games. Last season he averaged 1.0 sack per game.
Considering all of this, Browns knows that Garrett’s next deal will reset the market so would prefer to do it as soon as possible in order to avoid paying even more down the road. This is especially important knowing they will soon have to extend other young stars like quarterback Baker Mayfield, cornerback Denzel Ward, and running back Nick Chubb.
It is unclear how much Garrett might command with this next extension, but it is believed that the bottom line will be around $25 million a year. Chicago Bears’ Khalil Mack is currently the highest-paid pass rusher in the league with a $23.5 million yearly average.
