For a minute there, the NFC East was wondering if Myles Garrett would be wearing Kelly Green or a star on his helmet for the 2026 NFL season. Trade rumors picked up recently regarding the former Cleveland Browns’ All-Pro and the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Rams’ interest.
While all three could have used a superstar to add to their defensive line, the Rams got the deal done first, and just a few years after Aaron Donald retired, Los Angeles will have another veteran monster rushing the passer.
Cowboys, Eagles Were In the Mix For Myles Garrett
It was a year ago, just a few weeks before the 2025 season, that Dallas traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys had thoughts of doing the same thing, except this time they would be acquiring the big-time asset.
The Browns were listening to trade offers on Garrett, and the Rams bit the bone first.
After losing seasons in four of the last five years and back-to-back seasons of five or fewer wins, Cleveland is trading Garrett to Los Angeles for star pass rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, and more draft capital, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Browns star skipped voluntary minicamp in April, and new Browns head coach Todd Monken revealed that a few text messages were the extent of his communication with Garrett since he was named head coach, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
However, Monken wasn’t worried at the time.
Now, though, with a new coaching staff in Cleveland, the Browns are moving on from their best player for the last decade.
“Some of the teams rumored to have interest in Garrett are the Rams, Eagles and Cowboys, but nothing has been substantiated,” Kay Cabot wrote (Cleveland.com) on Monday morning. “Another reason Garrett might welcome the chance to be traded this offseason is the fact that he might get more money from the new team.
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“He’s slipped to No. 6 among the highest-paid defensive ends at $40 million a year, and is averaging $10 million a year less than the Texans’ Will Anderson Jr., who recently inked a $50 million a year deal.”
Garrett and the Rams will likely restructure his contract, sign him to an extension, and give him a raise, or any combination of three. The trade is a blockbuster and can serve as a model for future trades involving star defenders.
Last season, the Packers gave the Cowboys Kenny Clark (a proven veteran defensive lineman) and two first-round picks in exchange for Micah Parsons. Now, the Browns are getting Verse and a first-round pick in exchange for Garrett.
Verse is one of the best young pass rushers in the NFL, so it seems the going rate for a Garrett/Parsons type of player is either two first-rounders and a viable veteran or one first-rounder and a rising star. According to PFSN’s EDGE Impact Metric, Verse posted an impact score of 86.3 last season, ranking 13th in the league.
