BEREA, Ohio _ Browns rookie defensive end Myles Garrett hopes to return from the high-ankle sprain he suffered last week as soon as possible, but the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft also wants to come back completely healed.
"Me knowing myself, I want to get out there as soon as possible," Garrett said Monday, speaking to reporters for the first time since his right ankle was injured when a teammate fell onto his leg during Wednesday's practice. "I want to test my limits. I want to go out there and play right away. But I know I'll be hurting the team and myself if I go out there too soon."
Garrett dealt with a left high-ankle sprain last season as a junior at Texas A&M, missed two games and pushed through it during the second half of the season. His production dropped to 8.5 sacks after he racked up 12.5 as a sophomore and 11.5 as a freshman.
This time, the injury isn't quite as severe, and Garrett said he's feeling better. Still, high-ankle sprains typically require four to six weeks of recovery.
"I think this one's a little bit lesser than the one I had before," he said. "So just make sure I take my time and fully recover and don't get out there too quickly."
Garrett sat out Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season opener. He'll miss a road game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. And if he's determined not to rush back, he'll likely miss at least a third or fourth game, too.
It's obviously a huge disappointment for Garrett after he bounced back from a left lateral foot sprain suffered June 14 in mandatory minicamp to perform at an exceptional level during training camp and the preseason.
"It's rough, but when I come back, I'm going to be a boost to my defense," Garrett said. "I'm going to do whatever I can to make a difference."
Garrett said he's been spending his days rehabilitating the ankle at Browns headquarters in addition to doing upper-body workouts and some conditioning He's also been studying film and helping his teammates prepare.
Without Garrett, the Browns held the Steelers to two touchdowns (the third TD was a blocked punt recovered in the end zone). But they certainly missed their starting right defensive end. Per ProFootballFocus.com, the Browns had just one pressure on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's 37 dropbacks. It was the sack defensive end Carl Nassib registered.
"We can stop the run," Garrett said. "We can go out there and stand firm against anybody. We have to get after the passer a little bit more, and we have to get some more sacks and a little bit more disruption and pressure back there. And I feel I can help."
