Myles Garrett Battles Persistent Foot Injuries Amidst Season
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is facing a testing period as he contends with multiple injuries to both of his feet. Garrett has been fighting through these issues all season, but they were notably re-aggravated during Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
After experiencing visible discomfort during the game, Garrett underwent an MRI on Monday. Fortunately, the results of the MRI came back clean, but the struggles are far from over. In the Week 3 loss against the Giants, Garrett had to take a brief trip to the medical tent, requiring the intensive attention of the trainers to get him back on the field.
Despite the pain and the challenges, Garrett showed his resilience by returning to play after his stint in the medical tent. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has labeled Garrett as "day to day," indicating that there is still uncertainty surrounding his immediate playing status. This uncertainty hasn't diminished Garrett's determination to stay on the field, though he has cautiously mentioned the possibility of needing a procedure "further down the line" if his condition doesn't improve.
Garrett's strategy, for now, is straightforward: keep playing. He emphatically stated, "It's more than just the foot. It's multiple things going on. So, I mean, 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 because I'm leaning on something else and I'm compensating here to make something hurt there. It's just been, like I said, a cycle."
However, his iron resolve to push through the pain hasn't been without consequence. Comparing his performance to last season, Garrett has seen a notable reduction in his snap count. Last season, he was on the field for 76.46% of the Browns' defensive snaps. This year, that number has dwindled to 67.18%. During Sunday's game, he was visibly in pain, doubling over and needing assistance to walk off the field. Post-game, Garrett was seen limping, a reflection of the toll these injuries are taking on his body.
The upcoming schedule doesn't offer any respite for the Browns. They are set to face the Raiders in their Week 4 matchup. Garrett's presence on the field for that game remains a crucial factor for the team. Given that Garrett has missed only one game due to injury since the beginning of the 2021 season, his absence would surely be felt. But Garrett remains undeterred. "I'm not concerned about something I don't know about. So, get the results and move from there. At this point, I'm going to continue to move as I have and look forward to playing the next game until someone tells me otherwise."
For Garrett, the immediate focus is on the present and staying as healthy as possible to continue contributing to the Browns' efforts on the field. His determination and resilience are indeed commendable, but the ongoing injury saga will undoubtedly remain a point of concern for both Garrett and Cleveland's coaching staff as the season progresses.