Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett says he's 'retired' from Pro Bowl Games after injury

BEREA — Myles Garrett was only supposed to be racing the Carolina Panthers' Brian Burns through the "Gridiron Gauntlet" at the Pro Bowl Games. Instead, the Browns All-Pro defensive end found his mind racing.

Garrett's season had already been defined by nagging injuries sustained in a late-September single-car accident. Nearly a month after that season ended, the capper to it all came as he sat on the field at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 5 after dislocating the big toe on his right foot while running through an obstacle course.

"Only thing went through, my mind was, ‘Ain’t no way,'" Garrett said Tuesday on the second day of the Browns' voluntary offseason program. "My friends and my agent were like, ‘You sure you want to do this?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, why not?’ And first wall I jump up on, hit my foot and my foot goes numb. I'm like, ‘Oh damn, I just broke my toe,’ and I'm thinking, ‘Damn, Browns Twitter's going to go crazy right now.’

"So I finished and I start walking off. I was like, ‘Yeah, I can't feel like the top of my foot.’ I'm like, ‘There's no way I get set back like this from the Pro Bowl.’ But, I mean, fortunately enough wasn't a broken toe, just dislocation and it's been a little bit difficult here and there, but honestly I don't view anything holding me back when the season comes around."

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Garrett may not view it as anything holding him back when the Browns start the 2023 season. However, he has strong views about what it will do as far as holding him back when it comes to the next time they want him to compete in one of the Pro Bowl Games sideshows.

Much like the dinosaurs Garrett loves to study and the pro basketball career he never really had, the chances of him competing in something like the "Gridiron Gauntlet" are extinct.

"Retired, done, like that right there," Garrett said, mimicking his basketball shooting form. "It's over. Hoops and obstacle courses are in the fine print. No more for MG."

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If Garrett actually had his way, it would be "no more" for the newly rebranded "Pro Bowl Games." This past year was the first time the NFL turned the all-star event into a skills competition and a flag football game.

The event included a longest-drive competition, a dodgeball game, a passing competition and the "Gridiron Gauntlet" obstacle course. The actual game was converted into a flag football game.

"It's the run away from the cops obstacle course," Garrett said. "Jumping over a wall or a fence and ducking under a table, it didn't make sense to me. Doesn't make sense to me now. But, I mean, they're looking for new things to do and new activities and obstacles to try, and I have to say that wasn't it."

Garrett was incredulous when told of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's comments prior to the following week's Super Bowl. The commissioner told reporters then, "They loved it. They were embracing it. They thought it was a great form."

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The Browns multi-time All-Pro edge rusher strongly disagreed with any assertion the players loved the new look.

"Who loved it?" Garrett said. "There wasn't a single guy that I talked to who was like, 'Yeah, let's run this back.’"

Instead, Garrett has his own ideas to change the event. His idea involves making it a much more fan-accessible event.

Accessible, as in the fans as actual participants.

"I think something including the fans," Garrett said. "Say you got the (defensive) line and the (offensive) line to be quarterbacks and we played with fans and they were the skill positions and then you had fans being quarterback and running backs and then you had the skill guys playing their natural position, but you have fans and just fans playing those two, the quarterback and running back, and throwing to them and trying to play out the backfield. I think that could be fun."

Naturally, there would be an assumption that some fans may not get out of the game without sustaining injury. Not just a dislocated toe, either.

To which Garrett responded, "Well, that's on them. They don't want to see me dislocate my toe."

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' Myles Garrett 'retired' from Pro Bowl, but has idea for format