NFL teams
Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff Writer 3y

Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett 'retires' from basketball

NFL, Cleveland Browns

BEREA, Ohio -- Kevin Stefanski declared Wednesday that Myles Garrett's basketball career is officially over.

"He retired," the Cleveland Browns coach said when asked if he was OK with his star pass-rusher playing so much pickup basketball this offseason. "So congratulations on a great career for Myles. Really proud of him. But he's done."

This offseason, the Browns All-Pro posted several videos on social media of himself playing basketball. It began in February with Garrett asking Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban if he needed a "big guard." Garrett attached a pickup highlight reel to the post.

Most recently, Garrett tweeted a video of him going behind the back on the dribble, then dunking one-handed over two hapless defenders. Above the video, he wrote, "Aight I'm going back to football" with a laughing emoji.

Last summer, Garrett signed the richest contract extension for a non-quarterback at the time, worth $100 million in guaranteed money. Stefanski wouldn't say whether he had to have a talk with Garrett about a basketball retirement. But Garrett jokingly pushed back that it would ever become permanent.

"I feel it's more like a Jordan retirement," Garrett said, using the basketball reference. "Now I got to go back to what I'm good at, what I usually do, playing football, rush the passer, stopping the run.

"But next season, you never know. I might go back to basketball, I might go play baseball, see if I can get on a team. But there's more on the horizon right now [with football]. I got to get back to what my main focus is."

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