Cleveland Browns Star Defensive End Myles Garrett has certainly not gone out of his way to avoid controversy since he’s entered the league and he won’t start now.
There is no question has been suspect over the course of the 2023 Season but things seem to have been approaching a head over the past few weeks. With the incident with the Kansas City Chiefs sparking significant outrage from reigning Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes, there are a lot of people upset with the quality of the leagues rule keepers.
Myles Garrett Controversy Draws NFL Penalty
Last week in a tight win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Garrett spoke his mind afterward regarding his frustration over the officials failing to throw the flag on obvious holding calls. He spoke out after the game and said that it was time for the league to hold their referees to a higher standard and was penalized $25,000 on Saturday morning for “criticizing NFL officiating”.
“Someone has to hold them accountable for the plays or the calls they don’t make,” he said. “And they need to be under the same kind of microscope as we are every single play.”
The rage has been building from the elite pass rushers in the NFL as other elite pass rushers have spoken out on the matter. Garrett was far more critical however as he continued with his commentary on the matter.
#Browns Myles Garrett fined $25,000 by #NFL for criticizing officials after #Jaguars game for not flagging holds on him via @MaryKayCabot pic.twitter.com/PvdnqTjGZl
— Cleveland Sports Talk (@CLEsportsTalk) December 16, 2023
“Right now I’m not getting any calls, so it can’t get much worse than that,” the four-time Pro Bowler said. “But I hope it has a positive effect. I’m not trying to offend anybody. I just want them to do their job to the best of their ability.”
When asked if he had an issue with his star defender speaking out, Cleveland Head Coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear that he supports Garrett. Stefanski also voiced his concerns related to the poor officiating in regards to holding calls on his star defensive end.
“We’re not the thought police,” he said. “Our guys can voice their opinions. I remind the officials of it every game. Just so they’re aware that teams are going to be doing everything in their power to slow down [No.] 95. That’s what they’re talking about in their building. So when he’s being clearly restricted, we expect it to be called.”
NFL officiating has severely gone off the rails this season as it feels like every single game has a penalty that substantially impacts the outcome of the game. The old law still applies that teams that blame the officials generally struggle with self-accountability but this season you can’t help but sympathize. On multiple plays, Garrett was essentially tackled as he complained that flags were not being called.
The NFL will need to resolve this issue with both officiating consistency and confrontations with the officials to prevent what appears to be no respect for the officials. The Browns will continue their excellent season this week against the Chicago Bears.
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