As we march toward Super Bowl 59, which will crown the Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles as champions, major news surrounds one of the NFL‘s biggest stars.
Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, who was drafted by the team No. 1 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, has requested a trade. Following his statement, the Browns have continued to make their stance known.
Browns Not Entertaining Offers for Myles Garrett
According to CBS’ lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones, a Browns source told him, “We’re not entertaining offers for him” regarding Garrett.
Since being drafted by Cleveland, Garrett has experienced losing seasons in six of the eight seasons he’s played in — including the Browns’ 0-16 season during his rookie year.
Since his arrival, Garrett and the Browns have only been to the playoffs twice since he arrived. After defeating the divisional-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2020 Wild Card round, Cleveland lost in the Divisional Round to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Browns also reached the postseason in 2023, losing to the Houston Texans on Wild Card Weekend.
Garrett’s Statement
Garrett took to social media, releasing a lengthy statement regarding his decision.
“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever. My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.
“While I’ve loved calling the city my home, 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. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
Garrett was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. He’s also a four-time first-team All-Pro, two-time second-team All-Pro, and has been named to six Pro Bowls.
He’s racked up 102.5 sacks over his career and 20 forced fumbles. He had 14 sacks in 2024, the second-most in the NFL.
Garrett’s Trade Options
While Garrett’s request for a trade could immediately overhaul a team’s defense, it may be difficult for the Browns to execute.
According to Over the Cap founder Jason Fitzgerald, trading Garrett would hamper the Browns’ cap situation mightily.
“Just to run a quick scenario but prior to adjustments the Browns would need to restructure [Deshaun] Watson and [Denzel] Ward to the fullest and cut [Jack] Conklin to trade Garrett. Doing all of that would leave them with likely between $2M and 7M in cap space depending on where the cap winds up,” Fitzgerald stated.
“This would leave them in a Saints like situation. Really outside of those three moves there is little they can do besides extending [Greg] Newsome and then June 1ing some players so they can sign rookies.
“Doing the math on this the better option is probably extending Garrett and coming up with a dollar figure that would make him happy to be part of a rebuild next year,” Fitzgerald finished.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter cited the 2018 trade that sent Khalil Mack, a second-round pick, and a conditional fifth-round pick from the then-Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears for two first-round picks, a third-rounder, and a sixth-round selection.
