Garrett, Parsons among 'best in this generation'

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns antiaircraft extremity Myles Garrett and Green Bay Packers prima Micah Parsons are the 2 of the highest-paid players astatine their position, and Garrett made it wide however helium thinks they measurement up successful the pantheon of borderline rushers.

"I deliberation we're 2 of the precise best," Garrett said. "I deliberation we're 2 of the precise champion successful this generation, truthful conscionable got to proceed to pb the way. There are decidedly immoderate different names successful that conversation, but I deliberation saying that he's successful it and that I'm successful it is not retired of the norm."

Garrett's comments travel 2 days earlier Cleveland's Week 3 matchup against Green Bay and the 2nd head-to-head matchup betwixt a brace of walk rushers who reset the marketplace for their presumption successful the past 7 months.

In March, Garrett signed a four-year, $160 cardinal hold with the Browns that astatine the clip made him the highest-paid non-quarterback successful NFL history. It besides ended a stalemate betwixt him and the enactment aft helium requested a commercialized the period prior.

Last month, Parsons was traded to the Packers amid a declaration dispute with the Dallas Cowboys and signed a four-year, $188 cardinal declaration with Green Bay that not lone surpassed Garrett but eclipsed Pittsburgh Steelers walk rusher T.J. Watt and Cincinatti Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase arsenic the highest for a non-quarterback.

Garrett, who trained with Parsons successful Dallas during the offseason, said the 2 kept successful interaction and helium offered proposal during Parsons' declaration quality and commercialized petition with the Cowboys.

"Holy s---, helium did it," Garrett said of his absorption erstwhile Parsons was traded and received a record-setting extension. "Now I retrieve him talking about, [we] were sitting successful the sauna during the offseason. He's like, 'If I get a deal, I'm going to bushed the blank retired of your deal.' And helium went retired determination and got it."

Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler, has recorded 54 vocation sacks since entering the NFL successful 2021. He and Hall of Famer Reggie White are the lone players successful NFL past to grounds astatine slightest 12 sacks successful each of their archetypal 4 seasons and helium appreciates the increasing enslaved helium has with Garrett.

"Competing and knowing what he's done for the crippled of shot and however he's came successful and dominated, but past besides offering fellowship and mentorship, I deliberation that's what separates the bully and the great, similar conscionable being a large brother, a large person extracurricular of football," Parsons said of Garrett earlier this week. "And you spot his enactment ethic and you spot his process and you say, OK, this is wherefore this feline is this bully and this great."

Garrett, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, is the archetypal subordinate to grounds 100 vocation sacks earlier his 29th day since sacks became an authoritative stat successful 1982.

Through 2 games, Garrett is tied for the league pb with 3.5 sacks. Parsons has 1.5 sacks and is tied for 3rd with 9 pressures.

Browns violative coordinator Tommy Rees said the violative enactment would person to beryllium "hyper aware" of Parsons, and manager Kevin Stefanski called him "elite."

"If you're up and coming, you privation to larn however to rush, arsenic a precocious schooler, assemblage player, he's 1 of the guys you person to watch," Garrett said.

Parsons, who has been connected a drawback number (30 successful Week 1, 47 successful Week 2) since the commercialized arsenic helium dealt with a backmost issue, -- nary longer appears connected the team's wounded study but uns...