Myles Garrett never believed a trade was possible until he received the call one week ago. The star defender spoke about his trade to the Los Angeles Rams, a move that has dominated league headlines.

“I found out about a week ago that this was even a possibility,” he said in his introductory press conference on June 2. “I mean, it was a surprise, it was a bit of excitement. Being at LA, knowing that there's a winning culture and some great teammates and great coaches here, I was definitely looking forward to the opportunity.”

According to reports, the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams agreed to the terms of the trade on June 1. The Browns were “adamant” about keeping the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. They had picked him first overall in 2017 and envisioned him as a “career Brown.”

“Our goal was for Myles Garrett to be a one-helmet player for his entire career,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said. 

The franchise was at odds with Garrett, who had requested a trade over a year ago. In preseason 2025, the 30-year-old revealed ambitions he cannot fulfill with the Browns.

“My desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl,” he wrote in February.

The Browns doused this request with a $140 million contract extension. Garrett went on to deliver his career-best performance that year, but it wasn’t too long before trade rumors fuled again.

The decision to restructure Garrett’s contract came after he set the NFL record for most sacks by a player in a season with 23 sacks. The modified language gave many experts reasons to believe a trade might be imminent, and Garrett remained noticeably absent from the Browns building this offseason. 

Other figures involved in the trade provided additional perspective on the move.

Myles Garrett and Sean McVay Share Their Interactions With Trade Looming Ahead

Myles Garrett revealed to The Athletic the impression LA Rams’ head coach Sean McVay left on him. He said that McVay’s status and “his directness” dominated their conversation outside the locker room.  

“The timing was impeccable,” The Athletic reported on June 2.

With Garrett’s trade looming over him, McVay did not rest well.

“I didn’t f****** sleep all week because of you,” the Rams head coach told Garrett, laughing, as per the report. 

McVay compared the acquiring Garrett to their previous trade involving reigning MVP Matthew Stafford.

“We feel really fortunate that this feels very similar when we were fortunate enough to be able to acquire a player like Matthew Stafford. Things like this don't present themselves, and we wanted to be aggressive,” he revealed on June 2.

The Rams gave linebacker Jared Verse, a first-round draft pick in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028, and a third-round pick in 2029 to the Browns. The first half of his wish is fulfilled, and now all eyes will be on him to see if he lifts the Lombardi Trophy with the Rams.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar