Man, it’s been a wild ride in Cleveland. If you’ve been following the NFL for more than five minutes, you know that the Cleveland Browns are basically the league’s favorite soap opera, and right now, the leading man is Myles Garrett. Here we are in early 2026, and the chatter is louder than ever. We’re talking about a guy who just casually shattered the NFL single-season sack record with 23.0 takedowns. You’d think a team would build a statue for him tomorrow morning, yet all anyone wants to talk about are Myles Garrett trade rumors.
It’s kinda surreal.
Why would a team even consider moving a future Hall of Famer who is still at the absolute peak of his powers? Honestly, it’s complicated. The Browns just wrapped up another brutal season, finishing 5-12. Despite Garrett winning just about every defensive award possible, including another First Team All-Pro nod, the team is stuck in the mud. Kevin Stefanski is gone. The quarterback situation is... well, it’s a Browns quarterback situation.
The Standoff That Started It All
To understand why people are still whispering about a trade, we have to look back at the chaos of early 2025. Remember that? Garrett actually went public. He told the world—and Ian Rapoport—that he wanted out. He specifically said his goal wasn't just to get from Cleveland to Canton (the Hall of Fame), but to win a Super Bowl.
The Browns panicked. Or maybe they just got realistic.
Instead of shipping him off to a contender for three first-round picks, Andrew Berry did what the Browns do: he opened the checkbook. They handed Garrett a massive four-year, $160 million extension. At the time, it felt like the "happily ever after" moment. Garrett got his $123.5 million in total guarantees, and the fans got to keep their hero.
But money doesn't buy wins in the AFC North.
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Now, even with that shiny new contract, the Myles Garrett trade rumors are resurfacing because the Browns are staring at a total rebuild. And Garrett? He’s been very clear lately. He told reporters this January that he’s "committed to winning," but if the team is thinking about tanking or a "teardown," then he’s "not the guy for that."
Basically, he’s saying: Don’t waste my prime while you try to figure out if Shedeur Sanders is the guy.
Can the Browns Actually Trade Him?
You’d think a $160 million contract makes a player untradable. Normally, you’d be right. But NFL cap gurus like Dan Graziano have pointed out that the way this deal is structured actually makes a move feasible.
If the Browns traded Garrett today, they’d have to swallow a $41 million dead cap hit. That sounds like a nightmare, doesn't it? It is. But compared to the $85 million the Broncos ate when they dumped Russell Wilson, it’s actually manageable.
An acquiring team would get Garrett for about $31 million a year over the next two seasons. For the best pass rusher on the planet, that is a total steal.
Why the Rumors Won't Die
- The Age Factor: Garrett turned 30 in December. He’s healthy and dominant, but the clock is ticking on his "superhuman" phase.
- Draft Capital: Cleveland is desperate for a fresh start. Trading one superstar could net them the "Godfather" haul—think three first-rounders and change.
- The Losing Culture: Since 2024, the Browns have gone 8-26. That kind of losing wears on a guy who views himself as a lion among sheep.
I was looking at the stats earlier, and it’s honestly depressing. Over his nine-year career, Garrett's teams have a combined record of something like 56-87-1. He has played in exactly two playoff games. Two. For a guy who just put up 23 sacks and 33 tackles for loss in a single season, that is a crime against football.
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What the Experts Are Saying
Some folks, like Sheil Kapadia over at The Ringer, are practically begging the Browns to let him go. The argument is that keeping a 30-year-old Ferrari in a garage that's falling down doesn't make sense. You sell the Ferrari to pay for the foundation.
On the other side, you have the "keep him at all costs" camp. These are the fans and analysts who argue that without Garrett, the Browns aren't just bad—they’re irrelevant. They pointed to the Week 18 win over Cincinnati where Garrett sacked Joe Burrow to clinch the record. That moment was the only thing Browns fans had to cheer for all year. If you trade that away, what’s left?
Andrew Berry is in a tough spot. He’s trying to bridge the gap between "winning now" and "not being terrible for the next decade." He’s brought in young talent like Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr., but this roster is still light-years away from competing with the Chiefs or Ravens.
The Verdict on the Trade Buzz
Look, here is the reality. Myles Garrett trade rumors are going to be a permanent fixture of every offseason until the Browns either win 11 games or actually pull the trigger.
Garrett has a no-trade clause. That’s the big hurdle people forget. He isn't going to just any team; he’s going to a contender. He wants a ring. If the Browns can't show him a path to a Super Bowl in the next four months, expect him to make things very "uncomfortable" for ownership again.
He loves Cleveland. He’s got an ownership stake in the Cavs. He wants to be the hero. But every hero has a breaking point, and watching another postseason from the couch might be his.
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What Happens Next?
If you’re a Browns fan or just a degenerate NFL news junkie, keep your eyes on the first week of March. That’s when roster bonuses start kicking in. If Garrett is still on the roster by March 20, he’s likely staying for 2026.
But if the Browns decide to fully embrace the Shedeur Sanders era and move down in the draft to stockpile picks, Garrett could be the first domino to fall.
Watch the coaching hire. If the Browns land a big-name, win-now coach, Garrett probably stays. If they hire a "developmental" guy from the college ranks? Get ready to see #95 in a different jersey.
The most actionable thing you can do right now is stop looking at the mock drafts and start looking at the cap space of teams like the Lions, Falcons, or even the Eagles. Those are the places where Garrett turns a "good" defense into a "championship" defense overnight.
Keep an eye on the compensatory pick formulas, too. Any trade for a player of this caliber involves a web of picks that could reshape the league for three years. It's not just a trade; it's a shift in the NFL's power balance. Regardless of where he lands, Myles Garrett is going to keep wrecking games—it's just a question of whether he'll finally be doing it for a winner.
To stay ahead of the curve, monitor the "post-June 1" designation talk. If the Browns wait until then to move him, the cap savings jump significantly, which might be the secret key to the whole puzzle.