'Leadership is a fluid thing': Myles Garrett pushes back on Malik Jackson's comments
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Myles Garrett wasn't left in the dark about comments regarding his leadership skills made by his former Browns teammate Malik Jackson recently on NFL Network. The All-Pro defensive end didn't even completely disagree with them.
Garrett's issue with Jackson's words is that they don't allow for the one thing he believes everyone experiences: personal growth.
"I mean, I saw them, but he has a right to his opinion and we're all learning as we go," Garrett said after Tuesday's training camp practice at The Greenbrier. "Leadership is a fluid thing. It takes different shapes and forms depending on the room and depending on the person. I can lead in the only way that I know how and I only can continue to grow as a leader and we'll continue to lead together."
Jackson, a 10-year defensive tackle for four different teams, was a teammate of Garrett's for one season in 2021 after having been signed as a free agent. It was his last year playing football, although he didn't officially retire until July 14.
The day before Jackson announced his retirement on the NFL Network's "Good Morning Football," he appeared on the show as a guest host. He was asked about his experiences in Cleveland playing with Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, and then was asked about Garrett's leadership skills.
"Myles was a young player," Jackson said on the show, "and I don’t think his leadership skills were the best at that time, but as he’s gotten older he understands what it takes, and he has had a lot of guys around him to show him what he needs to do. … I think he needs to take that bull by the horns and just lead more by example as far as in the classroom because we all know what he can do on the field.
"But to be able to go in the classroom, command that respect, and tell guys what to do is really where I think he really needs to take that jump.”
Maybe the one person whose hand is raising the most in agreement with Jackson's assessment that Garrett needed time to develop his leadership skills is the No. 1 overall pick in 2017 himself.
"I think it takes time for anyone to be a leader," Garrett said. "Some people come in and they're, from day one, they talk and they lead with their voice and they also lead by their presence. But you can have some great players such as (Tom) Brady or (Michael Jordan) who didn't lead from day one, they had to take their time, earn their spots, earn their stripes and it starts to develop in them.
"Once it's really picked up and they've matured into a point where they feel like this is my role and I can take this on in the fullest form, then they take it from there and they continue to grow as leaders through time."
Garrett can just look around the defensive line group this year to find examples. While the Browns added some young but promising talent to the position in the offseason, either through free agency or the draft, they also made some key veteran acquisitions as well.
The Browns signed defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who, as a 29-year-old free agent, has already played in 93 career regular-season NFL games. They also traded for defensive end Za'Darius Smith in May, bringing in a player who will be 31 when the regular season starts Sept. 10 and has 54.5 career sacks in 107 games.
That's two more big voices to set the tone, which is what Jackson was saying and to what Garrett agrees.
"It's not just one person," Garrett said. "We have a lot of experience in the room and we have to be together. We have to do this together, and one voice shouldn't speak louder than any other. We have to all be pushing at the same rate in the same direction. And that's how winning teams, winning groups are made."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Myles Garrett disputes ex-teammate Malik Jackson's leadership comments
