Breaking Down Myles Garrett's Re-Worked Contract With the Rams

Following the Los Angeles Rams trading for edge rusher Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, the team reworked his existing contract. When the Rams traded for Trent McDuffie earlier this offseason, they gave the cornerback a big extension. While Garrett didn’t get a new extension that better aligns him with the top pass rushers, the Rams set themselves up for a new deal next offseason.

According to Spotrac, Garrett’s cap numbers slightly changed over the next few years.

2026: $8.14 million —> $8.44 million
2027: $16.06 million —> $15.02 million
2028: $21.38 million —> $27.6 million
2029: $42.39 million —> $39.88 million
2030: $49.99 million —> $48.17 million
2031 (Void): $39.9 million (Dead Money)

Myles Garrett Contract Details | Spotrac

The numbers may have slightly changed, but the contract still significantly benefits the Rams. Garrett’s cap number in 2026 remains an extraordinarily low $8.4 million. That puts him in line with Arvell Reese’s rookie contract.

As part of the new deal, Garrett received a $5.5 million increase in salary for 2026 and his 2027 salary is no longer guaranteed until the third day of the 2027 league year. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap noted that the structure of the deal favors the Rams more than it does Garrett.

“The only way this really makes sense for Garrett is if he is able to land a new contract next season from the Rams or with another team if they were to release him,” said Fitzgerald. “My assumption is that this is a placeholder deal with protections for Garrett and the low salary in 2027 designed to get both sides anxious for a new deal in the summer. The lower salary may also make it easier to throw a “raise” in 2027 and still fit within the cash budget even though it just brings the contract whole again. I would be surprised if this plays out as is next year but it definitely is not a typical series of contracts that we see in the NFL.”

While Garrett may not have received a new extension, it seems like the Rams set up the new deal so that the two sides can work something out next offseason. Garrett initially signed a contract extension with the Cleveland Browns last offseason that averaged $40 million per year. However, since then, Danielle Hunter, TJ Watt, Micah Parsons, Will Anderson, and Aidan Hutchinson have all signed new deals and surpassed Garrett.

Anderson reset the edge market when he signed an extension in April, averaging $50 million per year. Garrett's $40 million-per-year average currently ranks sixth among edge rushers. Next offseason, the Rams will have a lot to think about when it comes to contracts. They have set up Garrett’s deal to get redone, but they also have to think about Kobie Turner, Steve Avila, Kevin Dotson, Puka Nacua, and Byron Young.

The Rams won’t be able to bring back everybody and will need to structure contracts correctly to maximize who they are able to bring back in 2027. As it stands, the Rams have $83.8 million in cap space next offseason, but could pull from future years as they have $168.6 million to work with in 2028.

With Garrett playing at such a low cap number in 2026, it’s another reason why this season is so important and why it made sense to go ‘all-in’. The Rams have several of their biggest playmakers on cheaper contracts, which won’t be the case in 2027. By structuring Garrett’s deal in the way that they did, the Rams have flexibility to maximize their Super Bowl window while delaying a true long-term commitment until they have more clarity on other key contracts.

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