There is no smoke without a fire, and that might have been proved in the suspense surrounding Myles Garrett’s potential trade. According to a report that is too persuasive to ignore, an NFL exec firmly believes that the Cleveland Browns are gearing up to trade their star, despite recent statements.

Last Thursday, Mike Sando of The Athletic interviewed some decision-makers, who remain anonymous, asking their opinion on where the off-season is headed. And one of them addressed the recent developments in Garrett’s contract, stating he may not be a Brown in 2026.

“The report of the option bonus date moving later for Myles Garrett makes me think Cleveland is planning on trading him, an exec said,” Sando reported.

It all started when the Browns restructured Garrett’s contract in March. The altered terms delayed the defensive end’s $31 million payment for the 2026 season until early September. This move would let the Browns trade Garrett without having to process his enormous paycheck. 

Although general manager Andrew Berry called Garrett a “career Brown” at the annual NFL meeting, his statement does not cover the fact that the new terms make Garrett “actually tradable.”

If the Browns are moving in the direction Sando’s report claims, then they are parting ways with one of their best players ever. And the 2025 season is one for the books. Garrett set the new NFL record for most sacks by a player in a season with 23 sacks. He is only the second player to win the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award unanimously.

Parting with Garrett was definitely going to be costly for the Browns, who now have until September to do so without paying the steep fee. Interestingly, there was one team that could have been a surprise landing spot for the star player. But they have also backed out now.

Is Myles Garrett Headed to the Los Angeles Rams?

Apart from restructuring Garrett’s contract, the Browns had made another move that raised a lot of eyebrows. They had suggested that instead of three years, there should be a five-year window of trading future draft picks. Their biggest supporters were the Los Angeles Rams.

In an X post, Rams GM Kevin Demoff wrote the proposal “makes so much sense."

The Rams pulled off the high-profile purchases of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. But they were still 22nd in cash spending this offseason. It would have cost the Rams a whole lot more to get Garrett. But considering their support, the Rams could have been in the mix for the star defensive end.

However, later, head coach Sean McVay said the proposal would fail in the Competition Committee, of which he was a member. The Browns withdrew their proposal before it could be tabled for a vote. That might also mean that the Rams may no longer be interested in getting Myles Garrett.

That leaves Cleveland with yet another door closed to trade the DE. Which team will finally land Myles Garrett at the end of this saga?

Let us know in the comments. 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Afreen Kabir