DE Myles Garrett (11.7.25)
So, Myles, the coaches have been talking about how last week you kind of raised your hand and said you wanted to participate in every single snap in practice. You really felt that that was something that you wanted to do. What was kind of the thinking behind that?
“Leading by example, showing that, you know, this means something to me. This means everything to me. I want to be out there. I want to get back to what I do best, get my rhythm, get my feel, and I’m feeling good again, physically. I just want to be out there as much as I can, making an impact and as long as I feel adjusted and get my rhythm, game day. I think we’ll always be in a better way.”
You talk about leading by example. You’ve also been a vocal leader. When you do that, do you feel like the message is being heard across the board?
“I always think actions speak louder than words. And as much as I say I’m committed and you can talk all day about that, but being out there every single rep and not taking one off, I don’t think a lot of guys do. I was just showing them that even at this year of my career, this stage of my career, I’m glad to do whatever it takes to get guys going in the same direction and pull them along with me.”
Hey Myles, so how do you follow up five sacks and how many guys do you expect to try to block you?
“Every single one, other than the quarterback. So, I’m expecting all kind of different looks and different schemes and formations, but we’ve also done our own self-scout and how we can free ourselves up and follow it up with another big game. Don’t put a number on it, just go out there and get as many as you can.”
Myles, obviously, Kevin handing off the play calling doesn’t impact you guys on the defense directly, but what do you think it says just about him and his willingness to do that, make a change like that midway through the season knowing that things aren’t going right on that side of the ball.
“I got nothing to do with that. Not my side of the ball.”
Myles, we saw obviously some frustration out of you going into the bye week. Did you have any conversations with Kevin (Stefanski) or Andrew (Berry) with the trade deadline approaching about, you know, what direction they were looking in going to the deadline?
“What direction? My question stays the same as the beginning of the year, end of the year, are we still focused on winning? As long as we’re still trying to win, we’re all still in line. So however, we can figure that out, I’m all on board.”
But you did have a conversation with them about that?
“Yeah, I mean, it was that and they agreed. We still are in agreement on that, and we got to go out there and get a win against the (New York) Jets at their place.”
Myles, you know the Jets are trying to keep their starter under wraps. Just Justin (Fields) and Tyrod (Taylor). Does that, regardless of who’s on the field, does that change your approach or preparation going into a game, or do you just kind of try and do the same thing every week?
“You try to get the same result every week. You got to prepare a little bit differently, at least mentally, you know, two different styles. Justin, known to use his legs more, a little bit more off, you know, timing than Tyrod is. He wants to stay in the pocket a little bit more. He wants to be on time with his throws. It’s a little bit more rhythm based, while Justin is more of a wild card. But he’s a very dynamic athlete, and he has a hell of an arm.”
Myles, I know you have no trade clause and all that kind of stuff, but did you know for sure that absolutely nothing was going to come about by the trade deadline?
“I wasn’t concerned with anything involving a trade with me or anybody else on this team. I was just focused on getting right, feeling better, getting my head in a better space after the week before and trying to find a way to continue bringing it every week.”
I’m sorry, just to follow up on that really quickly, there was a rumor that the Eagles were willing to give up three first round picks for you. And I saw Howie Roseman talking, and he didn’t really throw water on that. So, you know, if that was true, what does that say that a team would be willing to give up three first round picks for you?
“That’s got nothing to do with me. What Howie and the Eagles choose to talk about and talk to Andrew about, that is of no concern until they bring me into the room. And until then, I’m focused on this team. But I haven’t heard any of those talks. I don’t read into any of those talks. And I have a team to help lead and help try to find a way to win every week and focus on the Jets.”
Andrew didn’t trade a bunch of guys from the locker room. He left the team as is, pretty much giving you guys an opportunity to turn this around together.
“Yeah, I mean, he does that, then I think we all kind of look around and say we’re kind of letting it go. We’re falling into a rebuild instead of a focus on this year and trying to find a way up out of this hole that we dug ourselves. So, he still believes that we can win. He’s shown that we’re sticking with these guys in this locker room and continue to be invested. So, we’re happy to just do it together and we got to make the most of it.”
Do you feel like you did get your head in a better space after the way the last game ended in the bye and the trade deadline? Do you feel like you’re in a better headspace?
“I think y’all were more concerned with the trade down line than I was. I didn’t even know what day it was until someone told me. So, me, I was just concerned about being home, seeing my family, being able to. To get back to my family members, seeing my niece, you know, get to be home and be around my parents. You know, that was of much more concerned to me about any more than any news that I was hearing here.”
I guess just how the game ended and obviously you were, you talked about being frustrated. You mentioned getting your head in a better space. Do you feel like you accomplished that?
“Yeah. I mean, who’s not frustrated when you’re losing. It doesn’t matter if I have one sack or five sacks. I don’t want to lose. It doesn’t matter who, it doesn’t matter where. It doesn’t matter what game or what we’re doing. I want to win, and if we have an opportunity, if I feel like the score is close enough, there’s a chance. I want to be out there to find a way to do that. So, I was definitely frustrated. But you know, you got to take time away. You got to back up and adjust the scope and see how well you are truly blessed and come back and appreciate everything for what it is.”
Myles, in 2021 when you chased down Justin Fields… that one near the top of your list?
“At this point. I’m not sure I can get him now. It looks like he might have gotten a little bit faster. But yeah, it was, the way the crowd reacted, that was definitely up there. So hopefully we can re-enact that at the end when left me behind.”
I think after that (New England) Patriots game, you talked about all you could do over the bye to help this team figure out what was wrong, find some solutions. So, what did that look like for you, and were you able to come up with something that you think can help this team turn it around?
“I mean it’s a lot of self-doubt with what I feel like I could have done better going into the middle of the season. Talking with Jacques (Cesaire) and (Jim) Schwartz, doing some assessments of the defense, D-Line and how we can improve all around, overall. So, there was some plays left on the board and always will be, but how can we capitalize on them the rest of the year? And then just talking with Kev and AB (Andrew Berry) and just trying to hear how everybody is trying to get 1% better.”
My guess is the defense hasn’t been like you’d want to on the road compared to home, right? And I know there’s other factors there, but what have you seen and how can you fix it so you’re playing as well on the road as you have been at home, defensively?
“I think as a team, we just haven’t played well enough on the road – that’s all across the board, and there’s got to be something that we can kind of tip our hats on, that we’re known for – whether that’s home or away. And defensively, I feel like that we can be that, and we can be a consistent force on a team that we can always rely on. And the offense will come together, it’ll become that as well. But as we are, setting the pace at which we have, and dictating what we want to, to teams at home, we got to be willing and able to do the same thing on the road.”
Myles, when we talked to you after the game, we hadn’t seen the clip yet, that your frustration came out and you spiking the helmet. But since then, we’ve talked to a lot of your teammates who thought that was a show of passion and emotion, your coaches have said the same thing. So, do you, if you had it to do all over again, showing that kind of fire can be good to show your team how much you really do care, or would you necessarily not throw the helmet again?
“I hadn’t thought about it that hard. I was frustrated. If they take something from it, it’s that, yeah, I want to win. And sometimes, it spills over and that’s okay. You know, many a player, from some of really great ones to the guys who aren’t around as long, show their frustration in many different ways. So, as long as you show that you care and you back it up, be who you are.”
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