Latest On Browns, DE Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett will turn 31 later this year, and while the Browns have not been nearly as bad during his career (which has featured two playoff berths), the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is trapped as a dominant performer on one of the NFL’s worst teams. That brings a familiar situation for the Browns.

Garrett also requested a trade early during the 2025 offseason. The Berry-led Browns have continually stood against moving their future Hall of Fame pass rusher, who backed off his trade ask once the team gave him a then-defender-record four-year, $160MM extension. The team did not move Garrett’s new contract after emerging in a seller’s position at yet another trade deadline, and he proceeded to break the single-season sack record weeks later.

Garrett’s contract has since been surpassed by four edge rushers — T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr. — as the market has climbed to $50MM per year. We heard earlier this year another Garrett raise would be more likely than a trade, but Cleveland’s decision to rework the 10th-year veteran’s contract this offseason triggered trade speculation.

The Browns shifted Garrett option bonus dates from March until just before the regular season from 2026-28. For 2026, that means a $29.2MM guaranteed payment is due seven days before Week 1. June 1 also looms as a key date pertaining to the Browns, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes a trade after that point should not be ruled out.

Some execs around the NFL are also interpreting Garrett’s absence from Browns OTAs as a sign of the player regretting his decision to sign a 2025 extension with the struggling team, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US notes. (To be fair, Garrett has missed Browns OTA work in the past as well.) Garrett has voiced frustration about the Browns’ losing at several points. Days before he set the single-season sack record, the former No. 1 overall pick said he wants to contend rather than rebuild.

Given his age, that stance is unsurprising. Garrett has also seen the Browns pass on adding a quarterback this offseason, with an uninspiring Deshaun Watson–Shedeur Sanders position battle commencing. The Browns are not expected to contend this season, and our Adam La Rose indicated during a recent PFR mailbag a trade would be the best course of action for the Browns in order to equip them with prime draft assets. Todd Monken — who was the Browns’ OC during Garrett’s abbreviated (due to the Mason Rudolph helmet strike) 2019 season — has since revealed he has not spoken with Garrett since being hired as head coach.

From a value standpoint, the Browns erred by not trading Thomas late in his career. An additional first-round pick and perhaps more would have been unlikely to save that version of the Browns, and a case can be made moving Garrett would create a massive hole for the foreseeable future. But the Browns may need more draft ammo to chase a long-term QB option. Garrett would bring back at least a first-rounder in a trade, and given what the Ravens were set to send the Raiders for Maxx Crosby (two firsts), Cleveland would assuredly ask for at least that for a player coming off a 23-sack season.

The Browns trading Garrett after June 1 would lessen their 2026 dead money blow to $15.53MM, per OverTheCap, while creating more than $8MM in cap space. However, the team would see a bigger dead money hit in 2027 — when the Watson dead cap offseasons will begin (assuming the Browns designate Watson as a post-June 1 cut next year, which appears likely, it will bring an $86.2MM dead money bill split between 2027 and ’28).

Adding Garrett dead money would create a more daunting task for Monken, who will presumably be the coach stuck with the Watson dead money after Kevin Stefanski coached the Browns with the QB on lower cap hits via restructures. But the Browns are running out of time to cash out on their top asset. Garrett’s contract runs through 2030, but given the changes on the EDGE market since that deal was finalized, it is likely he will be asking for a raise in the near future. That will presumably also impact teams’ desire to trade for him.

Offering some pushback to Garrett trade rumors, TheLandonDemand.com’s Tony Grossi does not expect the all-world sack artist to be moved after June 1. However, Grossi does acknowledge the rumors will persist due to the recent contract rework. With more Crosby rumors likely coming between now and the deadline, Garrett interest is undoubtedly set to commence as well.