Todd Monken has communicated with still-absent Myles Garrett only through text

Myles Garrett attended the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. He is not attending the Browns' voluntary minicamp.

Todd Monken said he has not spoken to his star edge rusher since becoming the Browns' head coach on Jan. 30. The two have exchanged text messages.

"It hasn't been a lot. It’s fine. This is voluntary," Monken said, via video from 92.3 The Fan. "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 really all the players have informed us. They've been unbelievable with their communication. So, has Myles. They've communicated. Doesn't mean I like the communication, but it's voluntary. I wish they were all here. I've said that plenty of times. But every one of them is a Brown, and we're excited that they are."

Denzel Ward and Jerry Jeudy also were absent on Tuesday.

Garrett has a $1 million workout bonus for 2026, forcing him to participate in 84.375 percent of the offseason sessions and all minicamps and OTA days. Since Tuesday began a minicamp, Garrett presumably has lost $1 million of his 2026 base compensation.

Monken said he can't speak to whether defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg has communicated with Garrett.

Garrett requested a trade a year ago before signing a four-year, $160 million deal with the Browns in March 2025. After the Browns went 5-12 last season, the Defensive Player of the Year again expressed displeasure with the organization’s losing ways.

The Browns and Garrett agreed to modified language in the All-Pro’s contract this offseason that makes it easier for the team to trade Garrett. However, General Manager Andrew Berry insisted last month that the team wants to make Garrett "a career Brown."