Denzel Ward Doubts His Browns Future After Myles Garrett Trade Request

Myles Garrett's monumental decision to request a trade has another Cleveland Browns star, Denzel Ward questioning his future with the franchise

Jan 30, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; AFC cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge at Nicholson Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Seemingly everyone has something to say about Myles Garrett's massive decision to request a trade out of Cleveland earlier this week. Even Garrett's own teammates have some thoughts.

Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward took a bold stance on Garrett's situation during a conversation with Cleveland.com on Wednesday, calling into question his own future with the Browns if the team were to actually go through with trading Garrett.

“I’m not going to say I don’t want to be here,” Ward said at radio row at the Super Bowl in New Orleans. “I definitely want to be in Cleveland and play for Cleveland, but I think it’s just tough. I would hope we wouldn’t trade a guy like Myles Garrett away. That would be hard to see, and I would have to see the idea of, are we trying to win if we’re trading Hall of Fame players like that? We’ve just got to wait to see what happens, but I want to play with Myles though.”

It's understandable why Ward would have doubts about his own future if Garrett is no longer one of his teammates. Trading Garrett would almost certainly trigger a rebuild for the Browns, and Ward – like his Pro Bowl teammate – is in the prime of his career.

During locker room cleanout day following the season, Ward referenced one of the most famous sports duos of all-time, Shaq and Kobe to describe the dynamics between himself and Garrett as teammates. Unfortunately, even that duo ended with a split, something Ward hopes the Browns can avoid.

“I don’t think that we should trade Myles Garrett," he asserted during the conversation. "As I’ve said, we’ve got to get this thing rolling in Cleveland, and get the quarterback position together and get a few other positions together and find a way to compete for championships and make it here where we get to a Super Bowl.”

As Garrett made clear during his numerous stops on radio row on Wednesday, winning the Super Bowl is what his trade request is all about. Ward hopes that they can still chase that dream together, but he understands where Garrett is coming from.

"He wants to win,” Wars said. “He’s a winner and he wants to compete for championships and contend for the Super Bowl. So I understand it, but it’s tough.”