Browns legend makes feelings on Myles Garrett trade clear

Cleveland Browns fans were forced to say farewell to one of the franchise's all-time greats when the club 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 pick and a 2029 third-round choice.

During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Browns legend Joe Thomas opened up about the only team of Thomas' playing career moving on from Garrett this spring. 

Browns trading Myles Garrett is "tough" for Cleveland fans

"For Cleveland fans, it's tough, right? Because for several of those seasons that Myles was here in Cleveland, he was like the one thing we got to cheer for," Thomas said, per Nick Shook of the NFL's website. "Last year, out of the playoff hunt for a long time, but he gave us a reason to be proud as Browns fans, chasing that sack record. And to finally get it, just to see the commitment that he had on the field to his team and to the city, it was incredible. So, it was really hard to hear that he was traded. It hurts everybody that Myles is not a Brown anymore."

Garrett had played only for the Browns since they made him the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Most recently, he set a new single-season record when he tallied his 23rd sack of the 2025 campaign this past January. 

That said, the perception exists that the Browns weren't going to be ready to compete as long as Garrett, who turned 30 years old this past December, was still in his prime. Thus, Browns general manager Andrew Berry agreed to a transaction that could potentially benefit everybody involved. 

Will trading Myles Garrett ultimately prove to be a positive for the Browns? 

"But I'm not willing to accept the fact that we're only allowed to think that our ceiling as Browns fans is to cheer for a player that is having a good season or chasing a record," Thomas added. "I don't want to lose sight of the fact that we're still here to try to win championships, and when you look at the Myles trade, to be able to get a great young player like Jared Verse, who is a tremendous pass-rusher, who is a great asset to that team, he's on a friendly contract there. Getting three draft choices for Myles, first, second and a third, it puts us in a much better position for the next two, three, four years as we're in this building phase."

The 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Verse tallied 12 sacks over his first 34 career regular-season games. While he may never fully follow in Garrett's footsteps as it pertains to individual accomplishments, Verse nevertheless could help the Browns do more than simply participate in a few postseason games. 

"As you step away from the emotion of losing Myles," Thomas concluded, "you realize this puts the team in a much better situation moving forward. And it was the right decision even though it hurts."

That's all well and good, but pain related to the Garrett trade may grow worse for Browns supporters if he gets his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as soon as this coming February.