It has been a few months since Todd Monken replaced Kevin Stefanski as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Despite having conversations with several players on the roster, defensive end Myles Garrett is someone who he hasn’t met. While Garrett has been enjoying his time during the offseason, his failure to meet the new HC is not sitting well with ESPN Cleveland’s Aaron Goldhammer.

“When you look at the full body of evidence, from the Popeyes lady on Instagram, which conveyed how he felt about [Todd] Monken getting the job and Jim Schwartz not, to his lack of attendance and the fact that he hasn’t even talked to Todd Monken while he’s at a Cavs game, on the Jumbotron, and cheering and waving a towel to help them try to win a game,” Aaron Goldhammer shared on ESPN Cleveland, via X. “Myles [Garrett] is trolling his new coach.”

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"Myles is trolling his new coach," - @HammerNation19 on Myles Garrett not showing up to voluntary minicamp and not talking to Todd Monken yet. Do you agree?

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1:35 PM · Apr 22, 2026

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In January, Garrett posted a picture of a tired lady, working at Popeyes, who sat outside the store. Many speculated that it was related to his career. Since getting drafted in 2017, he has been consistently one of the best performers for the franchise, making seven Pro Bowl selections, while also being named Defensive Player of the Year twice.

In nine seasons, Monken will be the fourth coach he will play under. Unfortunately, during this time, the Browns have only had two playoff appearances.

As a result, he requested a trade from the franchise in 2025 after eight seasons in hopes of going to a different franchise and competing for the Super Bowl. However, things seemed to have resolved when the team offered him a four-year, $160 million contract that had a no-trade clause.

A year later, it seems that Garrett is once again not too happy with the franchise after their HC hiring of Monken, as he was rooting for promoting former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to the position.

While one host was adamant that Garrett’s actions were not justified, his co-hosts believed there was nothing wrong with what the player was doing. He even missed a voluntary minicamp, the Browns team organized, but his coach is not too concerned despite all that has transpired.

Todd Monken is keeping things light about Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett’s absence from the Cleveland Browns‘ voluntary minicamp has raised several questions. While the media is speculating there is a rift between the DE and Todd Monken, the former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator’s recent comments prove that is not the case.

“This is voluntary. We’re making a big deal out of this. We really are. It’s voluntary,” said Monken to the reporters. “We have other guys besides Myles that aren’t here. I wish they were here. They’ll be ready. We expect them to be ready. And we’ll be fired up when they’re here.”

Veteran players like CB Denzel Ward and WR Jerry Jeudy have also not attended the camp. Despite having minimal communication with Garrett, Monken believes he will arrive when it’s time.

Last season, Garrett recorded 23 sacks, breaking T.J. Watt and Michael Strahan’s record of 22.5 sacks in a single season. The franchise has denied any report suggesting he could be on his way out before the draft. While the drama surrounding him not meeting the HC is concerning to some, his performance levels have ensured that this won’t be a problem when the regular season resumes.