Browns rookie defensive end Myles Garrett is off to a slow start – or, as it were, virtually no start — with the Browns.
In fact, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft did next to nothing in the spring mini camps and OTAs because of a foot injury, the exact extents of which the Browns have not disclosed because, as they say, he “is still being evaluated.”
No, Garrett has already been evaluated. That’s over for the time being. The Browns know full well what his injury is. They just aren’t saying, because they don’t have to say. The players are off until the start of training camp in six weeks. Perhaps they’ll wait until then to tell the whole story, or at least as much they will be willing to share. In that way, then, Garrett will have more time to heal. Whatever the problem is, it will be better by then, reducing the angst over the situation.
It’s hard to say what, exactly, will happen with the release of Garrett’s diagnosis.
But while certainly not desirable, suffering a foot injury early as a rookie is not a death knell for a player.
Why?
Because history tells us so.
There’s the story of former Browns linebacker Clay Matthews. You may have heard of him.
Matthews was drafted in the first round, at No. 12 overall, in 1978, 11 spots ahead of Ozzie Newsome. Perhaps you’ve heard of him as well.
Mathews was going to be one of the keys for the Browns’ planned resurgence under first-year head coach Sam Rutigliano. It worked out that way in the long run, but definitely not right away.
He suffered a chipped bone in his ankle that caused him to miss much of the 1978 preseason. He finally returned, only to bruise his shoulder in Week 5 of the regular season.
When it was all said and done, Matthews missed only one game that year, but had just two starts. That’s not exactly what he or the Browns had in mind.
Matthews went on to play 16 seasons with the Browns and is one of their greatest defensive players ever. As he waits to see if he’ll ever get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he at least has already earned a spot in what could be called the Hall of the Very Good.
The Browns would be thrilled if Garrett’s career played out the same way.
