Why some Browns players reportedly may be happy that Myles Garrett is now with Rams

The Cleveland Browns got worse, on paper, as it pertains to the 2026 NFL season when they traded star pass-rusher Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for edge-rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round choice and a 2029 third-round selection earlier this month. 

According to Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, it sounds like some in the locker room weren't necessarily bummed to learn that Garrett wouldn't be staying with the AFC North club through the summer months. 

Myles Garrett "wasn’t necessarily universally loved" by Browns players

"While Garrett was respected and revered by his teammates, he wasn’t necessarily universally loved," Cabot wrote for a piece published on Thursday. "And while he evolved as a leader over the years, he wasn’t the great unifier the Browns always hoped he’d be, often keeping to his tight inner circle away from team headquarters. In fact, the team revolved so heavily around Garrett, he often unwittingly dwarfed his teammates."

Garrett routinely received criticism from media personalities and even from former teammates about his supposed lack of leadership qualities during his time with the Browns, which began when the team made him the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. He went public with a trade request in February 2025, but he later signed a four-year, $160M extension that included $123.5M guaranteed to stay with the team. 

After Garrett inked that extension, Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam shared that Cleveland had "challenged" Garrett "to become a real leader of the team." Fair or not, the perception exists that Garrett never truly embraced such a role up until he was traded to the Rams. 

Why Jared Verse may be a breath of fresh air for Browns players

"Early indications are that Verse, who came to town with a wide smile, a big heart and open arms, will be more of a force multiplier and unifier than Garrett, who’s not as gregarious as the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year," Cabot added. "...Verse, 25, has already shown signs of fostering team unity and brotherhood in his first two weeks on the job. For one thing, he couldn’t wait to get on the field for voluntary organized team activities, which Garrett routinely skipped. While there, he worked hard to make up for lost time and get to know his new teammates."

Of course, how Verse plays when the games start to count come September is all that fans will care about as it pertains to what he will offer the Browns. That said, it's telling that Cleveland players don't seem to be mourning the fact that the league's best overall defensive player is no longer with a team that finished the most recent season at 5-12.