Not so long ago, the Cleveland Browns made Myles Garrett the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the National Football League.
Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt or Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons are big candidates to emulate or take down that record sooner rather than later.
However, Trey Hendrickson may want the Cincinnati Bengals to grant him that honor with his new deal.
With that in mind, Browns analyst Pat McGuire argued that, as good a player as Hendrickson is, he’s just not in the same tier:
“You can say all you want about Trey Hendrickson. He plays really hard. He gets a lot of production. He’s not Myles Garrett, guys, that’s the thing. You can say that all you want. He’s a great player on a terrible defense. You can’t give him a Myles Garrett contract,” McGuire said.
Trey Hendrickson is good, but he is no Myles Garrett. #DawgPound
“He’s a great player on a terrible defense.”
Presented by @drinkgaragebeer https://t.co/zB1MaG0jkP pic.twitter.com/ywlj0LRBHg
— The Hanford Dixon Show (@TopDawgShow) June 22, 2025
It’s hard to disagree with that.
Garrett has been wreaking havoc and dominating the league for years now.
Hendrickson is coming off an amazing season in which he was a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, but he now has to maintain that type of production over time.
Of course, it’s not that he hasn’t been good for some time now, but he’s just not in the same tier as Myles Garrett; no one is.
One could make a case for Watt because of his résumé, but as good as his numbers are, he’s usually gotten a clear path to the opposing quarterback, whereas Garrett has had to shake off double and triple-teams.
As for Parsons, he might be worthy of that kind of contract because of his youth and versatility, but he has yet to show up when it matters most.
Garrett is the best pass rusher in the league, and while he won’t be the highest-paid for much longer, there are levels to everything.
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