The Cleveland Browns got superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett re-signed last year to a big-money contract worth $40 million per season and nearly $124 million in guaranteed money. So why would they already be restructuring the deal one year later with absolutely no cap relief coming in 2026?
A lot of folks in the NFL world are theorizing that the Browns' latest agreement with Garrett to renegotiate his contract is the precursor to a trade.
Essentially, there are option bonuses in Garrett's contract that will now be paid in September of the next handful of upcoming seasons as opposed to being paid in late March, which gives cap flexibility on his contract in future years. And because of that, it seems like the two sides have perhaps taken steps toward a future trade.
Myles Garrett will command a king's ransom if Browns trade him in 2026
Coming off of a season in which he racked up an NFL record 23 sacks, Garrett has proven that he's on a completely different plane compared to other players in the NFL. He's proven his worth as a #1 pick and generational talent, and frankly, he's given the Browns all he possibly can.
At the age of 30, and with the Browns staring another rebuild directly in the face, the timing to trade Garrett could not be more appropriate. This contract renegotiation indicates that it's at least possible, so which teams should be crafting up a king's ransom of picks and players to get Garrett on their roster?
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys were already involved in the trade sweepstakes this offseason for Maxx Crosby, so we know they are ready and willing to pay up if the right player comes along. After the Ravens outbid them for Crosby, perhaps the Cowboys have lucked out in a sense.
If Myles Garrett is available, Dallas is one of the teams that should be blowing up the phone of Browns GM Andrew Berry and trying to get a deal done.
The Cowboys could even offer something like multiple first-round picks and wide receiver George Pickens to sweeten the deal for the Cowboys. You can get creative with it on your own, but after the Micah Parsons debacle in 2025, getting Myles Garrett would completely redeem Jerry Jones.
2. Chicago Bears
Another team that's in a Super Bowl contending window right now is the Chicago Bears. The Bears also play in the NFC, and can afford to give up a boatload of picks. While it doesn't exactly work this way, the fact that the Bears have had ample additional top picks in recent years thanks to trades really gives them the opportunity to sell off some prime NFL Draft real estate to get an impact veteran like Garrett.
The Bears' pass rush was tied for the 8th-fewest sacks last season and was middle of the pack the year before that.
With how much that team ascended in year one of the Ben Johnson era, it's probably worth it for Ryan Poles to start making some calls and see what it would take to get Garrett off the Browns' hands.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Interestingly enough, the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have been rather quiet this offseason. In fact, they've actually lost quite a few key players from their Super Bowl-winning team, even though they've also shelled out some serious cash to guys like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed.
How crazy would it be for Seattle to shock the NFL world and swing a blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett?
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald got a front-row seat to the dominance of Garrett as a rival coach with the Baltimore Ravens for the majority of his first 10 years in the NFL, so the chance to coach him and try to get the Seahawks back-to-back Super Bowl wins would be extremely enticing.