Why a Myles Garrett Trade Makes Sense, and 12 Possible Destinations

Even after the possibly suspicious restructure of Myles Garrett’s contract this week, which essentially defers option payments closer to the start of the regular season, creating the space to either spend more money in the interim or trade Garrett outright, it would be difficult to imagine the Browns dealing one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history.

In the Andrew Berry era (formerly the Berry and Paul Depodesta era), the Browns have been best known for a series of intellectual administrative parlor tricks; the kind of wheeling and dealing that impresses folks who spend all day scrolling WallStreetBets on Reddit and not the ones who are dazzled by, you know, actually winning football games or putting an entertaining product on the field. So it wouldn’t be a surprise that Cleveland simultaneously altered the terms of Garrett’s deal while at the same time asking the NFL to vote on a proposal that would allow clubs to trade five years’ worth of draft picks. It would be a surprise if this was part of some grand plan to transform the franchise.

Most likely, it is a move to modernize the structure of Garrett’s deal. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap noted that this contract structure was pioneered by Eagles GM Howie Roseman’s front office because it allows for the “lowest possible cap charge for the player but at the same time still hold the rights to send that money to another team via trade or potentially escape things entirely [if] a guarantee void occurs for any reason.” Berry’s brother, Adam, is the Eagles’ vice president, and the team’s head of football operations and strategy. I’d like to think of this move like a bunch of tax professionals sizing up their returns at the big convention and high-fiving over the discovery of the same loophole (that’s how tax stuff works, right?).

But let’s imagine for a second that the Browns are putting the foundation in place to field Garrett inquiries, which would also align with the team’s perpetual promise of some faraway success at the end of a golden brick road built by acquiring endless draft capital.

This is wise for two reasons:

• The runway for an elite pass-rusher trade has already been created by the failed Raiders-Ravens pact for Maxx Crosby, which was a modified version of the consummated Micah Parsons to Green Bay deal. While almost any executive I’ve spoken to believes that Garrett is a far superior player who will exist on the Mount Rushmore of pass rushers (while Crosby is a very good one, the likes of whom come around every four or five years), Garrett is a year older than Crosby and would likely field the two first-round picks, plus a player in return. It’s safe to assume that most teams have already run a cap simulation on Crosby and, while financial commitments stemming from free agency may have complicated those matters, teams in need of a pass rusher who were interested in Crosby have already built in the possibility of a move.

• We are drawing ever closer to a draft that offers, at best, a complicated solution to the pass-rusher problem that many teams are facing. Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, for example, is immensely talented but doesn’t have a snap on record with his hand in the dirt. Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. has already needed a Mike Tyson comparison to excuse his outlier arm length, which has reportedly given scouts some concern. In comparison, even two seasons of remaining prime Myles Garrett isn’t close. Garrett is a game-altering defensive player who can immediately upgrade a defense against both the pass and the run. He hasn’t missed more than one game in a season since 2020.

And, on that line of thinking, inching the window of this potential trade closer to the draft furthers the likelihood that Cleveland can recoup more of the return in 2027 equity, which seems infinitely more valuable than 2026 picks (and easier for a team to part with, as the pain of surrendering picks is deferred).

Possible Myles Garrett trade destinations

Jacksonville Jaguars

Would general manager James Gladstone follow in the footsteps of mentor Les Snead and deal four years’ worth of first-round picks for a ready-to-maximize roster? The Jaguars have an excellent defensive coordinator, Anthony Campanile, who is sure to interview for head coaching jobs again next season. The team will also struggle to retain offensive coordinator Grant Udinski if the team’s success under Liam Coen continues. In terms of windows, Jacksonville’s is upon us. Pairing Garrett with Josh Hines-Allen would create a havoc-wreaking defensive front that would throttle the vulnerable offensive lines throughout the division. The Browns could field 2027 and ’28 first-round picks from Jacksonville, taking ownership of a full presidential term’s worth of Jacksonville draft picks, thanks to the trade up for Travis Hunter.

Indianapolis Colts

Hear me out. Let’s imagine for a second that the Browns’ rule proposal of extending tradable draft picks out to five years is tied to their desire to deal Garrett. Which teams would that most reasonably impact in terms of potential suitors for him? The Colts do not have first-round picks in this year’s draft or next year’s, thanks to the Sauce Gardner move, and are clearly enamored with the current roster—enough so that signing Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce to big deals made sense to them. If you’re Carlie Irsay-Gordon, what is another two years of draft capital at this point if the return is a player who could actually turn the Colts into a contender? The Colts are going to be in a pretty awful position if this iteration of the roster doesn’t work out. And, I think, if Indianapolis is being honest with itself, last year’s team was heavily dependent on an amenable schedule that allowed the team to jump out to such a fast start and legitimize the Gardner trade in the first place. The Colts were 30th in pass rush win rate last season and were heavily dependent on Laiatu Latu for generating quarterback pressures. The team also lost Kwity Paye in free agency.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams are another team that could be impacted by the ability to trade future capital, given the coming end of the Matt Stafford era. The Rams are in a divisional arms race alongside the Seahawks and 49ers and their post-Stafford draft capital could be a curiosity to the Browns as a potential undervalued asset (Sean McVay will never be bad enough with Stafford to qualify for a top-10 quarterback and shows no interest in starting over with one anyway, leaving him dependent in the post-Stafford era on an increasingly less appetizing group of veteran reclamation projects). The Rams traded their own first-round pick to the Chiefs, but they still have a 2026 pick from the Falcons situated at No. 13. The Rams were so painfully close to a second Super Bowl under McVay last season and seem to be a team on the edge of massive sea change, both in terms of Stafford and the age of his surrounding skill-position players, and the looming potential combustibility of the Puka Nacua era.

San Francisco 49ers

This would be an interesting long-term gamble on behalf of the Browns. While the 49ers are an excellent, top-10 team right now, their aging roster presents the possibility of a few injuries derailing a season and making future 49ers draft capital look immensely valuable. In the Kyle Shanahan era, San Francisco has picked third, ninth, second and 11th (though some of those higher picks were the result of a trade up). The 49ers are moving like a team that acknowledges upgrades are necessary to compete in an increasingly competitive NFC West, and Garrett would dramatically raise the efficacy of star pass rusher Nick Bosa in the interim. This would be a salvo fired directly toward the less-mobile Stafford and bootleg-dependent Sam Darnold within the division.

Dallas Cowboys

While Jerry Jones is more likely to discuss this trade and reap the benefits of free publicity than actually consummate it, Dallas has been on a defensive upgrade kick this offseason and was (again, theoretically) interested in Crosby. Garrett has the third-highest cap charge on the Browns this season, so shoehorning him onto a roster with Dak Prescott is not impossible. Garrett would provide Jones with a bona fide star, which he loves to collect like one who procures children’s toys (keep in the wrapping, for display and clout purposes only). Garrett is also from Arlington, went to Texas A&M and may want to spend the remainder of his career without those nagging income taxes.

Chicago Bears

The Bears were on the periphery of the Crosby trade and profile as a team that would like to maximize its time with Caleb Williams while Williams is on his rookie contract. Long-term negotiations with Williams, especially if he continues his ascent under new head coach Ben Johnson, are going to be wildly complex and groundbreakingly expensive. The best opportunity to win a Super Bowl is now. The Bears had one of the lowest pass rush win rates in the NFL last season, and Garrett is a prototype for succeeding in elements like Soldier Field’s over the long term. Garrett would also be a valuable asset to Williams, having entered the NFL similarly dinged for a slew of outside interests seemingly incongruent with football success. Because Chicago plays in one of the better divisions in the NFL, a Garrett trade to the Bears could be an educated bet on the Bears regressing once injuries take their toll (Chicago’s offensive line was remarkably healthy last year, for example) or the Lions, Vikings and Packers improving.

Philadelphia Eagles

Let’s not overcomplicate this. Cleveland just altered Garrett’s contract structure to one routinely used by Roseman and the Eagles. This looks, for now, like the final year of Vic Fangio’s tenure as defensive coordinator. The Eagles just extended the contract of defensive tackle Jordan Davis, but Jalen Carter, who will likely top the market for defensive tackles, is “not close,” according to a recent report from ESPN. Carter was drafted the year after Davis but the Eagles have not been averse to signing players early. Perhaps this is a way to align Davis, Carter and Garrett for one season before making a longer-term decision on Carter. Or, maybe Carter is part of the return for Garrett. The Eagles also have a potentially pending A.J. Brown deal, which would further remove the governor on Philadelphia’s salary cap.

Tennessee Titans

New Titans head coach Robert Saleh was twice a candidate for the Browns’ head coaching job and obviously has an idea of how he would integrate Garrett into the fold as one of his defensive centerpieces. Tennessee has feverishly remade its defense this offseason and remains a favorite locale for players both during and after their playing career.

New England Patriots

Perhaps New England’s Super Bowl swoon opened the door to players receiving a near-endless stream of heartwarming stories about what it’s like to play for Mike Vrabel. Dre’Mont Jones is the most significant upgrade the Patriots have gotten their hands on this offseason, still leaving a gaping hole on the roster if we’re to consider New England “evolved” and ready to face a far more difficult schedule in 2026.

Buffalo Bills

Opening a new stadium has a way of forcing a team to punch the accelerator. While Bills fans seemingly need no incentive to support the franchise and have been surviving on heartbreak and provisions stored in the bitter cold snowfall permanently located in their backyards, 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, making the impulsive firing of Sean McDermott look ridiculous after McDermott turned the program around. The Bills already moved on Bradley Chubb this offseason, but have been perpetually trying to solve their pass-rushing issues via the veteran market due to late draft picks year after year.

New York Giants

Maybe the Giants aren’t done. If John Harbaugh took the job in part because he believes this is a quick turnaround, maybe the idea of sacrificing draft capital doesn’t scare him. The Giants could also send a highly drafted pass rusher back to Cleveland in return, limiting the ultimate strain on the acquiring team. Garrett would be a franchise transformer and allow the Giants’ remaining pass rushers to exist in an environment that wouldn’t force them to be the table-setter, taking on consistent double teams. While offloading Kayvon Thibodeaux isn’t close to a fair swap, the Giants would immediately secure an upgrade to the investment made on Abdul Carter and extend the lifespan of star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who appeared to decline last season amid the team’s struggles.

Washington Commanders

Sensing the Eagles are also in, the Commanders may make a move to improve their own dire straits at the pass-rushing position. Washington finished last season as a middle-tier success rate team and signed Charles Omenihu, Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency, reflecting the team’s lack of depth at the position. While this would make the Commanders seem more settled at the position, perhaps the presence of multiple edge-rushing options would attract the now 30-year-old Garrett, who may want to end his career as a player with more help than he had in Cleveland, where he was almost solely responsible for QB havoc over the past decade. The Commanders have the cap space and, like the Bears and Patriots, should be thinking strategically about how to allocate excess funds while Jayden Daniels is on the remainder of his rookie contract.