The Browns are still dealing with the fallout from the Myles Garrett trade, and on Wednesday the conversation shifted from the roster to the wardrobe.
Cleveland assistant general manager Catherine Hickman met with the media wearing a sweatshirt that read, “Los Angeles Made Me Do It.” That choice lit up NFL fans online, with plenty of them calling the outfit “embarrassing” and questioning why she’d show up in that gear after the Browns sent Garrett to the Rams earlier this summer.
The reaction was immediate and split right down the middle. Some fans went after the look hard, with one writing, “This woman wants to be taken seriously as a professional in the front office of a NFL team and wears a forever 21 sweat shirt.
I hate my football team so much,” Another added, “Nice LA sweatshirt. Guess they ran out of Browns gear.
SMH @ typical Browns blindspots,” while a different fan said, “Wearing a T-shirt -Los Angeles made me do it is not a good look. If going casual, wear some nice Browns gear, not as if you’re ready to mow the lawn.
You’re the assistant Gmâ¦,”
There was also this from another critic: “Perfect example of whether Browns organization is the laughing stock of pro sports,”
But Hickman didn’t just draw heat. A few fans jumped to her defense, pointing to her role in the organization and her background.
One wrote, “Be respectful, she is part of the reason we have been drafting great the last two seasons. Howie Roseman knows how talented she is as a scout thatâs why A.
Berry stole her from the eagles and promoted her as assistant GM. She was one of the big reasons the eagles built a SB team,”
The trade that set all of this in motion came with a strong public statement from Browns general manager Andrew Berry. He said, “We have long taken the stance that our goal was for Myles Garrett to be a one-helmet player for his entire career,” Berry said.
“After rewriting the record books and representing our organization with excellence, we were sincere in that desire as we entered this offseason and did not envision a world where Myles was not a Cleveland Brown. “When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position, but as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: [D]o we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?
“In that framework, the decision became clear, although our emotions were muddled. We, and more importantly, our fans, have grown up with Myles, and he’s an enormous source of pride for our team.
However, as we embark on a new era of Browns football with a young core and a replenished asset base, we felt this move was important to our transition.”
In Other News...
Bengals Added A Tackle Orlando Brown Clearly Believes In
The Bengals added Myles Hinton, and Orlando Brown Jr. wasted little time making clear he likes what Cincinnati brought in. Brown pointed to Hintons talent, size and athleticism, a useful mix for a team that has spent plenty of time trying to keep the pocket cleaner and the offensive front sturdier around Joe Burrow. It is the kind of move that does not grab headlines the way a splashy signing does, but it still fits the broader push to keep building depth where it matters most.
The move also lands in a week where the Bengals have had plenty of other roster threads worth tracking, from Joe Giles-Harris finding his lane on special teams to Burrows measured optimism about where the team is headed. There is still the larger backdrop of Trey Hendricksons contract situation and how it could shape draft-pick decisions, plus the usual summer noise about whether Cincinnati belongs in the Super Bowl conversation. Hinton is not the center of all that, but he is part of the same bigger picture, and Browns endorsement suggests the Bengals see something worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Be Fast-Tracking Joe Burrows Next Big Protection Test
The Bengals have been leaning on one of the NFLs toughest interior defenders in practice to sharpen Connor Lew, a rookie center working his way back from a torn ACL. Dexter Lawrence, a two-time All-Pro, gives Cincinnati a problem that looks a lot like the ones Lew will face on Sundays, and that kind of daily stress is part of the plan as the team keeps developing him behind veteran Ted Karras.
For Cincinnati, the bigger picture is obvious: the center spot is one of the most important lines of protection for Joe Burrow, and the franchise is already thinking ahead to the eventual transition. Lew is viewed as a potential long-term answer there, so every rep against Lawrence serves both the present and the future, even if the real test of how ready he is still lies ahead. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chase Just Gave Bengals Fans A New Off-Field Reason To Care
JaMarr Chase has turned another chapter of his partnership with Fabletics into something Bengals fans can actually shop, releasing a new collection that blends performance gear with casual looks. It is the third drop in the relationship, and this one comes with a fairly wide spread of options, from cargo pants and oversized tees to joggers, shorts and hoodies, giving Chase another way to stay visible beyond Sundays.
The collection features 25 styles and is available online and at Fabletics stores nationwide, with prices running from $14.95 to $159.95. For Cincinnati-area fans, there is also a local wrinkle: exclusive items are being sold at the Kenwood, Ohio location, adding a little hometown appeal to a rollout that keeps Chase in the conversation even when he is not making plays on the field. [Read more 🡒]