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Cleveland Browns superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett has still not met face-to-face with Todd Monken.

Superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett has had a busy offseason and has yet to meet with his new head coach face-to-face.

The Cleveland Browns gathered for OTAs this week in Berea and Garrett was expectedly absent. The routine is typical for Garrett, who works out away from the team and shows up ready to go when it matters.

But his lack of interaction with new head coach Todd Monken has been curious. Monken revealed during veteran minicamp that he had not met with Garrett in person. That hasn’t changed nearly a month later.

Monken was asked if he had met Garrett face-to-face. He responded simply: “Myles? No.”

Garrett is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who is coming off a record-setting 23-sack season. If Monken is going to have success in his first year, Garrett will have to be on board.

Browns Not Concerned With Myles Garrett’s Absence

The optics certainly worth noting, but the Browns aren’t losing sleep over it. Garrett has proven he can operate at an elite level without taking part in team workouts. Monken addressed the situation before the draft, keeping his tone measured and noting that the workouts are voluntary.

“It’s fine, this is voluntary,” Monken said. “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. And really all the players have informed us. They’ve been unbelievable with their communication. So, has Myles.”

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has echoed that confidence, saying he expects Garrett to “come in here and break the sack record again.”

Garrett’s production has him on pace for the Hall of Fame. He has put together at least 14 sacks in five straight seasons.

Trade Speculation Persists, Browns Pushing Back

The bigger storyline hovering over Garrett’s offseason absence is the ongoing trade speculation. His lack of attendance or interaction with his head coach has done little to quiet that.

In late March, Cleveland restructured Garrett’s contract, making the deal more tradable. That move stoked the trade rumors, but the Browns moved quickly to address them.

“If we wanted to trade Myles, we wouldn’t have needed to make a contract adjustment,” general manager Andrew Berry said. “So it doesn’t have anything to do with that.”

Berry added that he sees Garrett as a “career Brown.” He’s said previously that he sees Garrett going from Cleveland to Canton.

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com put the odds of a trade happening at close to zero.

“I would say pretty close to 100%. You can never say never, but Andrew Berry and Jimmy Haslam have been adamant about not trading Myles Garrett,” Cabot said on 92.3 The Fan. “They do feel like they’re poised to take off once they figure out the quarterback situation.”

The real test comes in June. The Browns are scheduled to hold mandatory minicamp June 9-11. Unlike the voluntary workouts Garrett has skipped without consequence, mandatory minicamp carries potential financial penalties for no-shows.