CLEVELAND (AP) — Myles Garrett wasn't going to let injuries to both feet stop him from playing on Sunday.
Going forward, he may no longer have a choice.
Cleveland's All-Pro defensive end will undergo an MRI on his foot Monday after he had to twice go to the sideline medical tent and was clearly struggling physically in Cleveland's 21-15 loss to the New York Giants.
Garrett had to be helped off the field at one point of the fourth quarter. On Friday, the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year revealed he's dealing with injuries to both feet but didn't say exactly what was wrong.
Garrett grabbed his right foot during the game, and he was limping following several plays. The 28-year-old said he's dealing with multiple issues in both of his legs as he's trying to compensate for the foot injuries.
“A whole lot of things going on,” Garrett said after hobbling to the podium for his postgame news conference. “It’s part of the game. I’m not gonna make excuses. Excuses don’t win this game. So I’m going to continue to do recovery, my treatment, everything that I’m required and more and be out there and be the player that we need.”
Losing Garrett for any amount of time could send the Browns into a tailspin.
He's their defensive leader, one of the league's elite edge rushers and the one player opposing coaches have to account for in their game plans.
Based on appearance alone, it wouldn't be surprising if Garrett misses significant time.
After the Browns lost and were booed at home for the second time in three weeks, Garrett limped out of the locker room and plopped into the back seat of an awaiting cart. He had to lift his right leg into the vehicle.
Garrett's father stopped to briefly to talk to him before he was driven to his car outside Huntington Bank Field.
The three-time All-Pro sat out two days of practice this week to get treatment and rest before returning Friday. He's been reluctant to describe the injuries, leading to speculation about what's ailing him.
“It’s the foot,” Garrett said when asked what's affecting his play. “But like I said, it’s more than just the foot. It’s multiple things going on. If I think the foot’s feeling good or feeling better, it’s one thing or another. So it’s kind of just feeding into each other right now and nothing’s sitting right because nothing has time to heal.
“I’m leaning on something else and I’m compensating here to make some hurt there. It’s just been — like I said, a cycle.”
Garrett was credited with one tackle and three hits on Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. He had a strip-sack in each of Cleveland's first two games.
With Garrett in a prone position on the field in the fourth quarter, Cleveland's fans began chanting his name before he was helped to his feet and taken the sideline. Garrett said the moment gave him a temporary lift.
“That's the kind of things that you dream of,” he said. “And it’s not the situation we wanted to be in with the score, but that kind of support behind myself and us, that’s when you step up and make plays and we made plays down the stretch, but we need to make a couple more. But that’s the stuff that you play for.”
In addition to Garrett being hurt, the Browns' battered offensive line took more hits as right guard Wyatt Teller (knee), left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) and backup tackle James Hudson III (shoulder) all got hurt.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said all the trio would undergo imaging tests. Also, right tackle Dawand Jones is dealing with a knee issue.
The injuries forced Stefanski to move left guard Joel Bitonio to tackle and center Ethan Pocic to guard. Backup Nick Harris took over at center.
Wills made his 2024 debut after undergoing knee surgery in December. Right tackle Jack Conklin, who underwent knee reconstruction after getting hurt in Week 1 last year, recently returned to practice and seemed to be tracking toward playing before hurting his hamstring on Friday.
Stefanski called Conklin's injury “a minor setback.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Tom Withers, The Associated Press
