BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett can dump all the quarterbacks he wants. His dunking days are over.
The Browns’ All-Pro defensive end, who recently posted videos on Twitter and Instagram of him dominating on the basketball court, has put his hoops game on hold.
On Wednesday, Garrett, who is attending Cleveland’s voluntary conditioning program, joked that he’s following Michael Jordan’s lead.
“I feel like it’s more of a Jordan retirement,” Garrett said. “He went to baseball for a second. I went to basketball for a second, now I have to go back to what I’m good at, what I usually do, playing football, rushing the passer, stopping the run.
“Next season, you never know. I might go back to basketball, I might go play baseball, see if I can get on a team. There’s more on the horizon, but right now I have to get back to what my main focus is.”
While Garrett was kidding around, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski seemed much more serious when asked about his star player’s basketball skills.
“He retired,” Stefanski said. “Great career for Myles, really proud of him. But he’s done.”
Stefanski was then asked if he had to talk with Garrett about hanging up his sneakers.
“He’s retiring,” Stefanski repeated.
Garrett’s basketball jones began in February when he posted a video playing in a pickup game and included a message to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, asking if he needed a “big guard.” Garrett recently tweeted a video of him dribbling behind the back and dunking over two defenders.
The idea of Garrett risking injury while playing basketball was unsettling to the Browns. They signed him to a five-year, $100 million contract extension last year and have Super Bowl aspirations this season.
During a Zoom conference call, Garrett, who suffers with asthma, said he’s fully recovered after getting COVID-19 and missing two games.
He returned but struggled late in the season and playoffs with his conditioning.
“I feel great,” he said. “I feel the best that I have since last year before COVID. It’s a wonderful feeling. I feel like it was kind of a long road and now that I’m back I’m feeling well-conditioned and feeling back at my peak.”
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