Sydney Sweeney shares Myles Garrett’s explicit ESPN shoot after facing criticism for her Novig sports betting campaign

Sydney Sweeney has found a pointed way to respond to criticism surrounding her latest Novig sports betting campaign. After the actress faced backlash over appearing nude in the ad, she turned the spotlight toward athletes who have also posed with little or no clothing. Among those she highlighted was Myles Garrett, the Los Angeles Rams defensive end whose 2019 ESPN “Body Issue” shoot featured him nude in outdoor settings.

Sweeney shared a photo of Garrett on Instagram on Sunday, drawing attention to his appearance in ESPN The Magazine’s final “Body Issue.” Garrett took part in the 11th edition of the feature in 2019, when he was still with the Cleveland Browns.The NFL star appeared nude for the photoshoot, which focused on athletes, their bodies and the physical demands behind elite competition. Garrett also spoke openly about his approach to fitness and the physique he wanted to build.Asked which body inspired him, Garrett pointed to famous bodybuilders while acknowledging that their physiques were not necessarily practical for football.

"I used to look at classic body builders like Lou Ferrigno or Arnold," Garrett said. "I know it's probably not obtainable for me and it's probably not going to be functional on the field, but those kinds of things inspire me because that's kind of the peak of physical appearance."

Garrett also explained why he continues to push himself physically, despite already being regarded as one of the NFL’s most imposing athletes."I'm always striving for more and I always want to look like a Grecian God," he said. "I want to be at my best physical appearance just to know that I'm using all my God-given abilities."

Sweeney’s post came days after Novig launched its “Just Sports” campaign on September 9. The commercial takes a playful approach to sports advertising, with Sweeney appearing nude or nearly nude while strategically using sports equipment to cover herself.The campaign features props associated with several sports, including baseball, hockey, tennis, football, basketball and pool. Sweeney opens the commercial by challenging viewers to demonstrate their sports knowledge before explaining Novig’s focus on sports betting.

The actress ends the ad with a joke about her appearance: "You can't trade this, I just look good here."Rather than directly arguing with critics, Sweeney’s Instagram post appears to have shifted the conversation toward the different ways athletes and entertainers use their bodies in public campaigns and editorial projects.She also shared images of other high-profile athletes, including Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, Karl-Anthony Towns, Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Megan Rapinoe and Caroline Wozniacki.The timing has added another layer to the story because Garrett is currently unavailable for the Rams. After dealing with knee pain, he underwent arthroscopic surgery and was placed on injured reserve. He is expected to miss at least four games, with a potential return in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals.Garrett joined Los Angeles after the Browns traded him to the Rams in June. He subsequently agreed to a reworked five-year contract extension with the team.