Myles Garrett finally got his wish — to be a part of a consistent winning team instead of one in perpetual rebuilding.
The Cleveland Browns traded the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to the Los Angeles Rams for pass rusher Jared Verse and three draft picks in a blockbuster deal Monday.
Garrett was the unanimous choice for Defensive Player of the Year last season after he had 23 sacks to break the NFL single-season record. He is expected to report to the Rams facility Tuesday and have a news conference to discuss the trade.
His addition marks the first time the reigning NFL MVP and Defensive Player of the Year will be teammates. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won his first MVP award last season.
Garrett demanded a trade at the end of the 2024 season but signed a four-year contract extension in March 2025 with a total value of $204.8 million that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The contract also included a no-trade clause.
General manager Andrew Berry was able to make a deal after the Browns and Garrett agreed in March to modify the contract and defer option payments over the 2026-28 seasons. The first payment of about $10 million was due March 28 but was moved to near the start of the regular season.
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Berry had long said Garrett would play his entire career in Cleveland, but Garrett’s lingering frustrations over the franchise’s direction and the chance to start anew meant it was time to move on.
Cleveland is 8-26 the last two years after making the playoffs in 2023.
“As discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: Do we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?” Berry said after the trade was announced.
The Browns get Verse — the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year — a 2027 first-round selection, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-rounder.
Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement that they met with Garrett on Saturday to discuss the trade.
“Trading Myles was never our intent, but we also recognize that certain opportunities demand serious consideration, and we believe this is the right move for our team,” the Haslams said. “Adding a young defensive star like Jared Verse, along with valuable draft assets, are necessary to strengthen a talented young core and align with the youth of our team.”
Garrett was not seen at the Browns facility during offseason workouts even though he made a couple of visits to Cleveland during the Cavaliers’ NBA playoff run. Garrett has a minority stake in the Cavaliers.
Coach Todd Monken said two weeks ago he had not had a face-to-face meeting with Garrett since being hired in late January. Defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg said last week he had some conversations over the phone with Garrett about the direction of the defense.
Garrett supported defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz being promoted to head coach before ownership opted for Monken. Schwartz ended up resigning after three years in Cleveland.
The 30-year old Garrett is the first player in NFL history with at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons (2020-25) and the only player with double-digit sacks each of the last eight years. His 125½ career sacks are tied for 20th in league history.
Garrett, who was part of five double-digit losing seasons during his nine years in Cleveland, finally gets a chance to contend for a Super Bowl title.
The Browns have the sixth-lowest winning percentage since 2017 and are 58-90-1 in that time. In comparison, the Rams have the fifth-best record over that span at 92-57, including seven playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title in 2021.
The trade elevated the Rams to Super Bowl favorites and is yet another blockbuster deal swung by GM Les Snead, whose eagerness to use his draft picks in trades for star veterans has kept the Rams among the NFL’s top teams during coach Sean McVay’s decade on the sideline.
Snead notably acquired star cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 in a deal that included two first-round picks, securing the cornerstone of the secondary for a team that won a Super Bowl. But the Rams won it all only after they acquired Stafford from the Detroit Lions in early 2021 in an even bigger trade for Jared Goff and two first-round picks.
Just a couple of months ago, Snead acquired star cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs in a deal for four draft picks, including a first-rounder, to rebuild the secondary that was the weak link of last season’s team.
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Before Snead shocked the NFL by picking quarterback Ty Simpson this spring, the Rams had made only one first-round selection over the previous nine years. That pick was Verse, who quickly became a star during his two seasons as the anchor of the Rams’ rebuilt pass rush in the wake of Aaron Donald’s retirement.
Verse had 4½ sacks while being selected as the NFL’s top defensive rookie in 2024 and 7½ sacks last season along with three forced fumbles. Byron Young led the Rams with 12 sacks and interior lineman Kobie Turner contributed seven, and both young stars are heading into the final year of their rookie contracts.
With the Rams in title contention in November 2021, Snead acquired vaunted pass rusher Von Miller from the Denver Broncos in a trade for the Rams’ second- and third-round picks. Miller contributed nine sacks in 12 games, providing exactly what they needed alongside Donald to win it all.
The current Rams are among the preseason Super Bowl favorites after winning 12 games and reaching the NFC championship game last season. Stafford, the reigning league MVP, is returning at the head of the NFL’s most potent offense along with a retooled defense featuring McDuffie and fellow former Chiefs star Jaylen Watson as its new cornerbacks — and now they’ve added the most feared pass rusher in the league.
The Rams’ 2026 roster now includes last season’s NFL leaders in passing yards, touchdown passes, receptions (Puka Nacua), receiving touchdowns (Davante Adams) and sacks (Garrett).
After the Rams won the Super Bowl in February 2022 and then crashed out of the playoff picture in an injury-filled 2022 season, Snead briefly discarded his usual draft philosophy. He rebuilt his roster through a series of key selections in 2023 and 2024, drafting an entirely new defensive line with Verse, Young, Turner and Braden Fiske, along with All-Pro wide receiver Nacua.
With his rebuilt roster looming as a Super Bowl favorite again, Snead used his depth on the defensive line to make it even better.
Verse’s acquisition gives the Browns the last two Defensive Rookies of the Year. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger won last season after leading NFL rookies with 156 tackles and 11 tackles for a loss.
“We receive a young, elite player at a premium position who will only continue to improve in his third NFL season,” Berry said. “Jared’s passion and relentless style of play will be embraced by our fans. He will fit right in with the established identity of our defense.”
AP’s Rob Maaddi contributed.