Reinstatement meeting and return

Following the Nov. 14, 2019 helmet swing and a period of suspension and appeals, Myles Garrett remained out of NFL competition while discipline was in force. As part of the conditions for reinstatement, Garrett met with Commissioner Roger Goodell; reporting indicates the meeting occurred in early February 2020 and that, after that meeting, the NFL reinstated Garrett effective Feb. 12, 2020 [8]. The reinstatement came after appeals officer James Thrash had upheld the discipline and after the league's investigatory and disciplinary processes were completed or otherwise satisfied in the commissioner's view [5][8]. The reinstatement allowed Garrett to rejoin the Cleveland Browns for offseason activities and the 2020 season; it also concluded the formal league-imposed suspension phase that followed the on-field melee [8]. League reporting and team announcements documented the reinstatement as contingent on Garrett meeting the commissioner's conditions and participating in required steps to address the misconduct [8].

The Goodell meeting and reinstatement matter because they mark the administrative conclusion to the NFL's punishment of Garrett: the league required a personal meeting with the commissioner as part of returning to play, signaling that the suspension was not merely a time-served penalty but involved conditions and review. Reinstatement also allowed Garrett to resume his playing career and removed the immediate administrative barrier to his participation for the Browns [8][5].

After his reinstatement effective Feb. 12, 2020 Garrett returned to Browns activities and continued his NFL career; subsequent reporting through 2025 shows Garrett remained a core Browns player and later agreed to a record extension reported in March 2025 [8][9]. The reinstatement did not resolve the separate factual dispute over the slur allegation, which Garrett later reiterated publicly, nor did it produce a public legal settlement between the players [3][6][7][10].