Bills Named as Myles Garrett Suitor Amid Trade Talk That 'Makes Sense'

After agreeing to modified language in his contract with the Cleveland Browns, Myles Garrett’s name began to circulate in trade rumors throughout the NFL media sphere.

There have been many teams named as suitors for Garrett’s services over the past several hours, including the Bills, who Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr highlighted as one of the prime destinations for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

“Opening a new stadium has a way of forcing a team to punch the accelerator,” wrote Orr. “…A Garrett trade could be both a major gift to new head coach Joe Brady and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, and a way to ensure that neither tank during their first season…”

Garrett is coming off a remarkable season in which he set a new NFL record for sacks in a single season with 23. Buffalo has already added free agent Bradley Chubb to help bolster its pass rush and bringing in a player of Garrett’s caliber would skyrocket the unit’s improvement entering the 2026 campaign.

Made possible by

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) reacts after losing his helmet on a play during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 21, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that Garrett agreed to push back the deadlines for his 2026, 2027, and 2028 option bonuses to be paid out, with the new dates set for seven days before the start of each regular season. That has left many to believe the door is now open for the Browns to trade Garrett before the start of the ’26 campaign.

The future Hall of Famer previously requested a trade before agreeing to a four-year, $160 million contract extension. His cap hit for the 2026 season would be a manageable $9 million for the team acquiring him, which the Bills could fit under the salary cap, particularly if they pulled another lever available to create cap space.

A possible move

Left tackle Dion Dawkins was a candidate to have his contract restructured entering the offseason, but the Bills have elected to stand pat in that regard while making other moves to improve their financial standing. However, according to Spotrac, “there’s a realistic path to tack on a multi-year extension to benefit both sides.”

Dawkins is set to count over $24 million against the cap in 2026, which is the team’s second-highest cap hit for the upcoming campaign. If the Bills can make the money work, which appears feasible, they would then look toward assembling a massive compensation package that would satisfy the Browns in a trade for Garrett.

Previous deals involving star-studded pass rushers have required multiple first-round picks sent to the team parting ways with top-tier talent. Garrett is the best of the best, having recorded no fewer than 14 sacks over the past five seasons, and would cost teams a whole lot to acquire in what would be a blockbuster trade for the ages.

It would be wild if the Bills pulled it off, but adding the five-time first-team All-Pro would be well worth it in their Super Bowl quest.

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