NFL rumors: 2 team race for Myles Garrett?

Posted by author February 20, 2025 NFL

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As Super Bowl week approached before the Philadelphia Eagles won their fifth championship, Cleveland Browns pass-rushing guru Myles Garrett announced that his tenure in Northeast Ohio was coming to a close. He stated that even though he loved the area and is calling Wadsworth, Ohio his home, he no longer believes the Browns organization has the ability to be a continuous playoff team, with little or no hope of getting to the Super Bowl.

Garrett requested a trade to a playoff contender despite two years left on his contract. Browns GM Andrew Berry has publicly stated Cleveland has no intention of trading him. This leaves the question: what if Garrett is dead set on never wearing a Browns uniform again? Would the franchise let him sit for a year? Two years? Or maybe, they should bite the bullet and give the All-World defensive end his wish while at the same time receiving a draft pick bounty?

There are pros and cons with fans regarding if Garrett will indeed leave Cleveland, and be traded to another club. But another question arises: Why would he put out a public statement that he is now seeking a trade, and then rescind that? His reputation is at stake here. Nobody wants to be viewed as flighty or simply seeking a bigger contract.

Browns’ fans love Garrett. He is the face of the franchise. The last thing Garrett would want is for his fanbase to turn on him. Not now. Not ever. What advantage would that bring him?

Is it likely that Garrett would abandon his desire to play for a team that is already a contender?

If the Browns eventually give in and trade him, which NFL club is the most likely trade partner? And what should they expect to get for him?

Two teams seem the most likely: the Detroit Lions, and the Washington Commanders.

This scenario would benefit the Browns because each is an NFC team. Cleveland would only play them every four years with the way the scheduling is designed. The only way that would change is if the Browns were a fourth-place division team and either the Lions or Commanders became a fourth-place divisional club.

A two-team race?

DraftKings have the Lions at +650 odds while the Commanders come in at +300 odds. Next are the Eagles at +450 while the Buffalo Bills are +550.

Unless the Bills offer something extraordinary, most likely they wouldn’t be an attractive trade partner since they are in the same conference. The same goes for the Kansas City Chiefs. If the Browns front office truly believes that they can right this ship and become a serious playoff contender, there is no way they would ship Garrett off to conference royalty. Nobody in the Browns organization wants to be the hunted. Not happening.

Clevelanders would want to read about all the good things Garrett is doing with his new club, just not see it in the box score of the game against the Browns.

The Eagles aren’t much of a target either. They have been very successful at drafting their own players, and while Garrett would help blow up their already good pass rush, the cost to acquire him – and pay him – does not seem very likely.

Another team that has been mentioned is the Dallas Cowboys. But Garrett specifically stated he wanted to be sent to a playoff contender, which the Cowboys are clearly not.

The Lions finished this year in the bottom third of the league in sacks. They were the only playoff team to not be listed in the upper echelon of top sack clubs. That is an alarming statistic and for them, a huge problem. You can’t be a championship squad and not get to the other team’s quarterback continually. Detroit’s front office is well aware of this situation. Bringing in Garrett would solve this problem.

Lions DE Aidan Hutchison will return this spring from his injury and be ready for the beginning of training camp. Having Garrett on the other side would demonstrate that the Lions are focused on getting to the Super Bowl sooner rather than later.

Detroit finished 15-2-0 and had the NFC’s #1 seed in the postseason. Their 45-31 loss to Washington in their first game of the playoffs revealed their ineptness in being able to place constant pressure on the opposing team’s QB with zero sacks in that game and just two QB hits.

The Lions draft #28 in the first round. Pass rushers in this year’s class around Detroit’s pick include Shemar Stewart (ranked #22) and Nick Scourton (#27), both from Texas A&M, Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku (#36), and T.J. Sanders of South Carolina (#39).

With this list of young defensive ends, Detroit may decide they don’t need Garrett’s services and will keep their draft capital instead. Then again, they have offered two first-round draft choices and a player before.

Washington is probably the most likely location for Garrett to land.

The Commanders will have a good shot at getting back to the post-season but were slammed by the eventual champions Eagles 55-23 after beating #3 seed Tampa Bay and then #1 seed Detroit. They have a defensive-minded coach which plays well for Garrett.

In 2024, Washington was the fourth-ranked defense while Cleveland finished 11^th. The Commanders finished #1 with the fewest pass completions.

But the Commanders were ranked 12^th in sacks with 43, exactly 20 off the league leader. So, going into the off-season, they know this is one area that needs to be addressed.

On the inside, Washington has DT Daron Payne (4 sacks) and DT Jonathan Allen (3). Out on the edges, Dorance Armstrong (5) and Clelin Ferrell (3.5). But the defense’s top two sack artists are both linebackers: Dante Fowler (10.5) and Frankie Luvu (8). That means this group relies on stunts and blitzes to get to the quarterback rather than fighting it out in the trenches.

Armstrong has limitations with just 39 tackles. Ferrell is a reclamation project who was once the fourth overall pick in the draft. He only had 26 tackles with 12 pressures.

The Commanders realize they aren’t getting production out of their EDGE rushers. In the NFC Championship Game against Philly, Ferrell and Armstrong combined for three tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and zero QB hits.

Oh yeah, both Fowler and Ferrell are free agents and may not return. Head coach Dan Quinn could use more speed and length on the edge of his defense. Enter: Garrett.

Washington picks #29 in Round 1.

And yes, the Cowboys are on the outside looking in with regards to trading for Garrett.

But owner Jerry Jones is known to swing a trade or two when he has somebody he really covets. Pairing Garrett with Micah Parsons just might be too much to pass on. This would not be within Garrett’s guidelines of going to a playoff contender, but in actuality, the Browns own all the leverage. And yes, Dallas is an NFC squad.

Sit, play, or be traded

Now understand, the Browns are in possession of Garrett’s contract which currently has two years remaining. They don’t have to trade him. To be factual, they don’t have to do anything. It is Garrett who has asked for a trade. Cleveland does not want to be without his pass-rushing skills. Berry has come out and stated that Garrett is not for sale or trade.

Garrett has every right to not play for the Browns in 2025. He can sit out and not play. He can also sit out 2026, however, he will turn 30 during the season next year. If he doesn’t play for two more years, once he returns, he will be 32 and inactive for a long time. Look at how Deshaun Watson played after two years of inactivity and was just 26 years old. Garrett would also be one of those “out of sight, out of mind” athletes if this scenario becomes reality.

(Editor’s note: What would happen with Garrett’s contract if he sits out is a different conversation.)

The situation is that right here and right now, Garrett is healthy. He was a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year, is one year away from winning the award, ranked second in sacks this year with 14, and had four games with multiple sacks.

2024 made the seventh consecutive season that Garrett had double-digit sacks. In his rookie year, he only had seven but played just 11 games.

His stats for 2024: 17 starts, 28 QB hits, 22 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, one fumble recovery, 47 total tackles, three forced fumbles, one batted pass, 44 pressures, 17 knockdowns, 13 hurries, and just three missed tackles.

Garrett was named First Team All-Pro, his fourth distinction. He also added his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl, with a grand total of six for his career.

He is a hot commodity right now. If the Browns have ever entertained thoughts of moving him, now would be the time to cash in. Right now, Cleveland still has leverage. If they wait until the 2025 season has begun and Garrett is not playing, each week that leverage declines a bit.

One can only imagine the disruption this Browns’ defense would inflict on opposing offenses with Garrett on one side and drafting Abdul Carter out of Penn State with the second overall pick in this year’s NFL draft.

But it just may be that Carter isn’t a bookend, but a replacement.

Garrett announced that he had lost faith in the Browns’ coaching staff and management and that the franchise would never even sniff a Super Bowl.

He is saying, he has been a role model for the City of Cleveland, but he has had enough and is asking to be let go and sent to a team that is a playoff contender now. Not to the New York Football Giants, or the Cowboys, or the Las Vegas Raiders who are all in the same shape as the Browns floundering during the year acting like they are a professional football team. Traded to a club that has a chance of making a run at a Super Bowl appearance.

Right now, Garrett is playing nice. But like all divorces, it could get ugly.