According to Myles Garrett, the Cleveland Browns’ record-breaking amount of injuries from the previous season prevented the team from making its first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.

When the current Defensive Player of the Year appeared on ESPN’s First Take Friday, February 9, Stephen A. Smith questioned him about what might have changed if the Browns’ already remarkable regular-season run hadn’t been hampered by the injuries to so many important players.

“I believe there’s no reason we shouldn’t play this Sunday if we stay healthy. And, you know, it aches every time I consider the serious injuries we had, including those sustained by [Deshaun Watson], [Nick] Chubb, and others,” Garrett remarked. However, I’m proud of the men that were present. I’m happy of the camaraderie we developed from training camp until the end of the season despite all of the hardships and adversities we faced. The way those guys came together was amazing.

No one ever makes it to the Super Bowl without some luck, whether it’s through an injury or something else. It is still a significant assumption, therefore, that a healthy Browns squad advances through the stacked AFC, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs upset the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens in the title game.

Nevertheless, Cleveland’s resume indicates that the squad would have had a real shot. After winning 33–31 in Baltimore, the Browns and Ravens split the season series. That game, Watson suffered the shoulder injury that would ultimately ruin his season, but he still managed to pass for 213 yards and a touchdown in the win.

In Week 5, the Browns defeated the San Francisco 49ers, who will play as the NFC representative in Las Vegas on Sunday, 19–17, at home. PJ Walker, the backup quarterback, led the team to victory in a contest that Cleveland’s defense mainly won despite Walker’s two interceptions.

In light of how the Chiefs can slow down San Francisco, the First Take crew asked Garrett to draw on his team’s performance against the Niners.

“They need to interact with them physically.” At the receiver position, they need to be aggressive and force them off the line of scrimmage, Garrett stated. “I believe the X-factor for them is letting [George] Kittle go free. .. We were able to dislodge [Brock] Purdy from his position, push those guys back, and end the run game up front. Once Purdy has won the game, force him to win it outside of the pocket. And that really complicated things for them.

Garrett’s performance was by no means the cause of Cleveland’s exclusion from the 2024 Super Bowl, which might have been caused by injuries, roster shortages, coaching concerns, or any combination of the three.

According to Pro Football Reference, the defensive end finished the season with 30 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks. In a victory over the Indianapolis Colts, he also forced four turnovers, intercepted three passes, and stopped a field goal attempt.

In addition, Garrett was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth and fourth times in his seven-year NFL career. In 2023, the league awarded him a first-team All Pro. This was his seventh first- or second-team selection in his professional career.