The Cleveland Browns could not have traded defensive end Myles Garrett at a more perfect time, which begs the question of whether the blockbuster events of the offseason were part of a calculated effort by the front office.
Garrett earned his second Defensive Player of the Year award in 2025 after tallying 23 sacks and breaking the NFL’s single-season mark in that category. He wanted a raise heading into his age-31 campaign and didn’t make sense for Cleveland’s timeline, given the Browns don’t appear likely to have a true franchise QB before 2027, which probably means it will be at least 2028 before the team can seriously contend.
The Browns executed a deal with the Los Angeles Rams, after which Garrett missed considerable time during the spring and summer with knee issues that included swelling. Now, after one wildly underwhelming performance in a blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, Garrett is going to miss at least four weeks due to surgery.
ESPN’s Charlie Kravitz, co-host of the Dominique Foxworth Show, mentioned on Monday, September 14 that Garrett has long dealt with lower-body issues, despite only missing two games over his last five seasons in Cleveland.
“Now we have the news that Myles Garrett is having arthroscopic surgery and is missing a minimum of four games with a knee injury, and he’s had some knee and foot issues that have apparently plagued him for several years,” Kravitz said.
“The Myles Garrett injury is enormous,” Foxworth added. “It’s impossible to look at this division and not be uncertain about the results.”
Jared Verse Makes More Longterm Sense for Browns Than Myles Garrett
Meanwhile, Cleveland brought back two-time Pro Bowler and 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse on his first contract, which is cost-controlled through 2028.
Verse turns 26 later this season, and while the Browns are likely to sign him to a massive extension sooner than later, it won’t kick in until 2029 when he is 29 years old.
As such, Verse is tracking to spend his entire prime in Cleveland, while the Browns will only have to pay him one substantial multi-year deal over that stretch.
Browns Early Winners of Myles Garrett Trade With Rams
It is fair to point out that Verse didn’t do all that much in his Browns debut either, tallying just four tackles, including one tackle for loss, and creating zero pressures against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a blowout loss Sunday.
However, in the context of where the Browns are as a franchise and what their expectations are for this season and moving forward, Cleveland is in a much better spot with Verse comparatively than the win-now Rams are with the injured Garrett.
The Browns also got three draft picks from L.A. in the deal, including a first, second and third-rounder in the next three years, respectively.
If Garrett had suffered his injury in Cleveland and experienced the subsequent statistical downturn, the Browns’ trade return would have almost certainly been less.
Garrett demanded a trade out of Cleveland ahead of the 2025 season, but backed off after agreeing to a four-year extension worth $160 million. He is now under contract for five years at a total of $208 million with the Rams.
There is no proof whatsoever, nor has there been any reporting, that the Browns expected Garrett might suffer his current injury or that they took advantage of the Rams in any illegal or untoward fashion.
That said, it is hard to argue that the Browns don’t appear big early winners in what was the headlining trade of the offseason.
Did Browns Know More Than Rams Ahead of Myles Garrett Trade? Why Deal Timing Was Perfect