When the Cleveland Browns opened OTAs this week, nobody really expected reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to show up. But after months into the offseason, many at least expected Garrett to have met the Browns’ first-year head coach, Todd Monken, by now. That, however, still has not happened.

“No,” Monken said when asked whether he had met Garrett yet.

Now, it is obvious Monken will not be calling the defensive plays himself. But at the same time, it is still somewhat concerning that Cleveland hired Monken back in late January 2026 and, nearly four months later, he still has not met one of the franchise’s most important players heading into the season.

Garrett already skipped the voluntary minicamp last month before the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, just like last year, he is absent from OTAs as well. And there is no guarantee he will attend next month’s mandatory minicamp either, unless he wants to avoid fines.

So for now, a face-to-face meeting with the head coach does not appear likely anytime soon. That said, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot previously reported that Garrett and Monken have at least communicated through text messages.

“Hasn’t been a lot. This is voluntary,” Monken said. “We’re making a big deal out of this. We really are. It’s voluntary. 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 to be fair, Garrett followed a similar path last year, too. Despite missing OTAs in 2025, he entered the season fully prepared, finished with a record-breaking 23 sacks, and walked away with Defensive Player of the Year honors. But once the season ended, things in Cleveland started shifting quickly.

The Browns moved on from Kevin Stefanski and hired Monken as the new head coach. In the process, Monken beat out former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for the job. As that unfolded, reports suggested Schwartz was unhappy with the decision, and speculation about his future started growing almost immediately before he eventually left despite being under contract.

Garrett, along with several defensive players in Cleveland, was known to be close with Schwartz. And while reports claimed the Browns kept Garrett involved during the coaching search, the veteran defensive end later posted a cryptic message on Instagram that many interpreted as frustration over Schwartz not receiving the promotion.

Now, none of that directly proves Garrett was unhappy with Monken getting hired, especially since he was reportedly aware of the organization’s plans throughout the process. But when you combine that with the fact that the two still have not met in person, it does start to paint a somewhat concerning picture for the Browns.

And at the same time, Myles Garrett isn’t the only one to skip the OTAs.

Two other defenders joined Myles Garrett in skipping the OTAs

The Browns’ defense was one of the few bright spots during the team’s 2025 season. Cleveland finished fourth in the league in total defense, allowing just 283.6 yards per game, while ranking 14th in scoring defense at 22.3 points allowed per game. So with a new head coach in Todd Monken and a new defensive coordinator in Mike Rutenberg, many expected the team’s top defensive players to stay actively involved throughout the offseason program.

That, however, has not really happened so far as the Browns opened OTAs this week. While it was not surprising to see last season’s sack leader, Myles Garrett, skip OTAs again, just like he did last offseason, two more key defensive players joined him by staying away from the workouts: defensive backs Grant Delpit and Denzel Ward.

Now, on paper, this should not automatically mean a major concern since OTAs are voluntary, and players have every right to skip them. But at the same time, considering how significant the Browns’ coaching overhaul has been this offseason, it is not hard to understand why the new staff would want its top defensive leaders around the building early.

And that is where the conversation around Cleveland hiring Monken over former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz starts becoming relevant again. It has been widely reported that Garrett and several defensive players genuinely enjoyed playing under Schwartz. So with Schwartz no longer part of the organization, it would not be shocking if at least some frustration exists within that side of the locker room.

Following OTAs, the Browns will move into mandatory minicamp in June. And while players skipping voluntary workouts is not unusual, things could look very different if some of those same players also decide to miss mandatory minicamp. If that happens, the speculation surrounding possible dissatisfaction over Cleveland’s major coaching changes may start feeling a lot more real.