Ever since the Cleveland Browns made the earth-shattering decision to trade Myles Garrett, a few lingering questions have remained unanswered. Well, not so much unanswered, but answered in a way that few believe tells the whole story.
While Garrett reportedly didn't request a trade, there's plenty of smoke suggesting the contrary.
To begin with, and at odds with general manager Andrew Berry's 'nothing-to-see-here' attitude at the time, it turns out the Browns' reworking of Garrett's contract to defer a $29.2 million payment to September meant something after all. While Browns ownership is hardly pressed for cash, they'd surely rather not pay an additional nearly $30 million to see the all-world pass rusher play for another team. Now the Rams will foot the bill for their newest shiny toy.
Back in April, some anonymous NFL executives reportedly saw this move as an inconspicuous 'For Sale' sign affixed to Garrett's name — even going so far as to name the Rams as a potential suitor. It turns out that read was a bullseye. Nevertheless, an even more recent development points to the reality that Garrett did want out of Cleveland, whether he explicitly stated so or sent the message subtly.
He showed up — for voluntary work with his new team. Garrett, like many NFL veterans, has typically picked and chosen when he showed up for OTAs. Oftentimes, these sessions are tailored more toward rookies and young players grasping NFL systems and playbooks for the first time. Still, for a variety of reasons, Garrett's absence was more pronounced this year.
Myles Garrett showing up to Rams OTAs sends an unmistakable message to Browns fans
To start with, it's hard to argue with dollars and cents. Garrett's absence from the Browns' OTAs cost him a $1 million bonus in his contract that was tied to his attendance. While I am worlds away from understanding what it feels like to view that amount of money as negligible, a million bucks is a million bucks. He opted instead to travel, which is entirely his prerogative.
Then there's the fact that he showed up to the first Rams OTA he was able to attend. Some might be quick to point out that Garrett likely wants to make a good impression on his new team, a group that surrendered a ton for his services. That's fair. But it also ignores the reality that the Browns coaching staff Garrett is leaving behind is largely made up of strangers to him.
It became a recurring story that Garrett had neither met nor spoken to the Browns' new head coach, Todd Monken, nor new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg. In fact, Garrett was seemingly disenchanted with ownership's decision to go with Monken over former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for the lead role. Those are not mere happenstance. Those are choices with very clear implications.
The context clues make it apparent that Garrett had made his wishes known that he would like to continue his career elsewhere. While the instant reaction is to feel disappointed and jilted, Browns fans can take solace in knowing the perennial All-Pro did the franchise at least one solid on his way out.
Something of a hallmark of a superstar trade demand is making it public. Heck, Garrett's no stranger to the concept — he did it a little more than a year ago before signing a record-breaking contract that placated him for another season. The problem is, going public immediately lowers a player's trade value and makes it that much harder to get a sizable return. The message to other teams is "you can't keep him, so you'll take what we're willing to give."
Look no further than the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite every attempt to create the mirage that they would keep A.J. Brown in 2026, his antics and behavior made it obvious that wasn't going to happen. Instead, they only got one team to bite: the New England Patriots. Despite still getting a sizable return — because Howie Roseman is a wizard — it could've been more if Brown had been more discreet.
By keeping the trade chatter behind closed doors, the Browns were able to negotiate in good faith. They were able to tell the Rams, at least half-truthfully, that both the franchise and Garrett would be content sticking with the status quo. Cleveland fans have Garrett's professionalism to thank for squeezing out first-, second-, and third-round picks in addition to a young star EDGE rusher in Jared Verse to be Garrett's heir apparent.
Even if it hurts to know Garrett didn't have much belief in what the Browns are building — or at least how he fits into it at 30 years old — he gave the Dawg Pound a franchise-altering parting gift. And for that, as well as an illustrious nine-year run, fans will always be grateful.
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