Not even the toughest dudes in the NFL can escape the wrath of COVID-19 ... with Cleveland Browns superstar Myles Garrett admitting the virus "kicked my butt."
The 24-year-old defensive end spoke out about his experience with the coronavirus with reporters on Friday ... saying he was hoping to be asymptomatic -- but that wasn't the case.
Garrett -- who missed the last 2 games after testing positive -- says he dealt with a fever, aches and lost his sense of smell.
"I was in pain. It wasn't great," Garrett said. "It kicked my butt ... Now I’m back,"
The Defensive Player of the Year hopeful says he expects to be back to 100% in time for the team's crucial matchup against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
"I'm not here to make a cameo appearance or a second-rate arrival. I'm here to do the job that I was doing before. I don't think there will be any drop-off."
Garrett also said he's worried about long-term health effects -- like Bills player Tommy Sweeney's myocarditis diagnosis -- but notes he's been seeing doctors regularly and so far everything seems normal.