Jets To Sign K Jason Sanders, Release K Younghoe Koo
The Jets are making a change at the kicker spot. A deal has been lined up with Jason Sanders, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. Fellow veteran Younghoe Koo is being released in a corresponding move.
Sanders was released by the Giants yesterday. He has certainly not needed to wait long to find his next opportunity, with a gig on New York’s other NFL franchise being arranged. Sanders joined the Giants this spring but all of his 118 career regular and postseason appearances have come as a member of the Dolphins.
The 30-year-old missed all of 2025 through injury. Sanders was one of several Miami veterans who were cut by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan in March, and a short stint on the open market ensued prior to his Giants deal. New York’s NFC team will move forward with a pair of younger kicking options during training camp, but the Jets will have an experienced presence in the form of Sanders this summer.
Koo – who appeared in five games for the Giants last season – was signed by the Jets one week ago. The longtime Falcons kicker was one of three options in place for the team at that point, with Cade York and Lenny Krieg being the others. Rosenblatt predicts York and Sanders will now compete for the gig over the course of training camp. Sanders sports a career accuracy rate of 84.6% on field goals, while York has gone 33-for-45 across 23 games played for Cleveland, Washington and Cincinnati.
For much of his Falcons tenure, Koo was among the league’s most accurate kickers. The 31-year-old South Korean saw his Atlanta stint come to an end early in the 2025 season, though, and he was among the options used by the Giants to fill in for Graham Gano. Koo’s struggles over the past two years could result in a free agent spell lasting through at least the start of training camp, but he will offer his next team with a veteran capable of competing for the full-time kicking position in 2026.
Cardinals Not Planning Josh Sweat Trade
One season into a four-year, $76.4MM contract, Cardinals outside linebacker Josh Sweat has drawn trade interest this spring. However, it appears those teams will have to look elsewhere for pass-rushing help. The Cardinals are not dealing Sweat, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
After coming off the board in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, Sweat spent his first seven seasons in Philadelphia. He broke out as a starter from 2021-22, Jonathan Gannon‘s two-year run as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, and continued to perform well after Gannon left to become the Cardinals’ head coach.
Sweat capped off his Eagles tenure with a 2.5-sack outburst in a Super Bowl LIX victory over the Chiefs in February 2025. Hitting free agency a few weeks later enabled Sweat to reunite with Gannon in Arizona, but their second partnership lasted just one year. The Cardinals fired Gannon in January on the heels of a 4-13 season, though new head coach Mike LaFleur retained defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.
Gannon is now the Packers’ D-coordinator, which has sparked social media rumors that they will swing a trade for Sweat. It might make sense for a team that will likely open the season without elite edge defender Micah Parsons, who is rehabbing from the tore ACL he suffered last December. But Rapoport dumped freezing cold water on the possibility, writing on X: “#AZCardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat is not being traded. Not to the #Packers or anywhere.”
Sweat has stayed away from Cardinals OTAs, but that was also the case when Gannon was in charge last year. LaFleur is unconcerned. He spoke highly of Sweat last week, saying (via Grant Gordon of NFL.com): “I’m just excited about the fact that I don’t have to game plan against this guy. I got to know him when I first got this job. He’s a good dude. He goes about his process and he’s not the first guy to go about his process the way he is in terms of how he’s training and all that.”
As a member of one of the NFL’s worst teams in 2025, Sweat was a rare bright spot. He put together his second 17-game season and tallied career highs in sacks (12) and forced fumbles (four). Despite his efforts, the Cardinals tied for the third-fewest sacks in the league (30). While his importance to their defense is obvious, they are expected to remain among the league’s bottom feeders in 2026. With that in mind, there is a case general manager Monti Ossenfort should seriously consider trading Sweat this summer. It seems Ossenfort, whose job may be on the line, is in no hurry to do so.
Perhaps the Cardinals will be more open to moving Sweat around the Nov. 3 trade deadline if they are out of the playoff race and contenders come calling. With an affordable $9.78MM base salary coming his way in 2026, Sweat’s contract adds to his value. His deal does not include any guarantees past the upcoming season.
Pats’ Kayshon Boutte Interested In Trade
Although the Patriots had not yet acquired receiver A.J. Brown from the Eagles, they made fellow wideout Kayshon Boutte available in the lead-up to the draft in April. While a deal has not occurred, Boutte’s status in New England has remained in question. Now that Brown is on the roster, having joined the team in a trade on Monday, it looks like a strong possibility the Patriots will ship out Boutte before the season.
For his part, Boutte has been interested in a trade, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on his podcast on Tuesday. A summer deal involving Boutte may be something to watch for, according to Schefter. Albert Breer of SI.com reported last month that the Patriots would likely take a fifth- or sixth-round pick in return for Boutte, who has not attended voluntary OTAs.
Boutte has been a member of the Pats since they chose him in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. The former LSU Tiger got off to a slow start in a five-game, two-catch rookie season, but he has taken on a much bigger role in the Patriots’ offense since then.
Over 15 games and 13 starts in 2024, quarterback Drake Maye‘s rookie campaign, Boutte caught 43 of 68 targets for 589 yards (13.7 YPC) and three touchdowns. Although Boutte missed three more games last year, he made 10 starts for the AFC champions and hauled in 33 of 46 targets for 551 yards. He set career bests in yards per catch (16.6), TDs (six) and drop percentage (2.2). Maye, who was the MVP runner-up, recorded a 133.1 passer rating when he targeted Boutte.
Now that Brown is in the fold, the Patriots have something of a logjam at receiver, which could seal Boutte’s fate. Brown and big-money free agent signing Romeo Doubs are locked in as starters. Mack Hollins (who led Patriots receivers in snaps last year), DeMario Douglas, second-year man Kyle Williams and Efton Chism are also in the fold. Like Boutte, Douglas does not look like a lock to remain in New England. He could be fighting Chism for a roster spot.
In the event the Patriots find a taker for Boutte, he could at least give an acquiring team an affordable stopgap. Boutte is entering the last season of his rookie contract and due a $3.67MM salary. Another club could extend Boutte, which seems unlikely to happen in New England with the expensive Brown-Doubs duo on the books.
QB Nathan Peterman Retires
Longtime NFL quarterback Nathan Peterman is hanging up his cleats, but the 32-year-old will remain in the game in a different capacity. Peterman is working to become a certified NFL agent with Range Sports, which represented him as a player, according to Irving Mejia-Hilario of Sports Business Journal.
“I got to live through what I’m now getting tested on in the CBA,” Peterman told Mejia-Hilario. “Being up and down on a roster, being put on IR, negotiating contracts. I hope I can help a younger person that’s on a similar journey.”
Peterman, who divided his college career between Tennessee and Pittsburgh, became a pro when the Bills chose him in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. He spent two years in Buffalo, where he struggled over eight appearances and four starts.
Former Bills head coach Sean McDermott briefly benched Tyrod Taylor and turned to Peterman for his first career start in a Week 11 game against the Chargers in 2017. It was a short-lived promotion for Peterman, who threw five first-half interceptions in a 54-24 loss and lost the job at halftime. Taylor held the reins for the rest of the season and helped the Bills to a 9-7 finish, ending their 17-year playoff drought, but suffered a concussion late in their wild-card game in Jacksonville. Peterman came in and tossed an interception with 1:16 left to clinch a 10-3 win for the Jaguars.
During the 2018 offseason, Buffalo shook up its quarterback room when it traded Taylor to Cleveland and drafted Josh Allen seventh overall. With the goal of easing Allen into the league, McDermott named Peterman the Week 1 starter. However, he was once again unable to get through a full game. After Peterman went 5 for 18 for 24 yards and two interceptions, McDermott yanked him late in a 40-3 loss to the Ravens. Allen came on in relief and then took over as the Bills’ starter, a job he has not relinquished. Peterman’s last start as a Bill came when he filled in for an injured Allen in Week 9 against the Bears. He completed 31 of 49 attempts for 188 yards and three picks in a 41-9 loss. The Bills cut him eight days later.
After the Bills moved on from Peterman, he had stints with the Raiders, Bears, Saints and Falcons. His fifth and final start came with Chicago in Week 18 of the 2022 campaign. Peterman threw a touchdown and no interceptions in an 11-of-19, 104-yard performance, but the Bears fell 29-13 to the Vikings. The loss clinched the No. 1 pick for Chicago, which traded it to Carolina in a blockbuster that significantly altered the courses of both franchises. Peterman, meanwhile, never attempted another regular-season pass in the league, leaving him with a 53.1% completion rate, four TDs, 13 INTs and a 39.4 rating.
Peterman, most recently a member of Atlanta’s practice squad in 2024, worked out for the Jets, Lions and 49ers last year. None of those teams gave him a contract. Neither did the Broncos, who had Peterman in for a tryout just a few weeks ago. After they passed on signing him, Peterman will turn his attention to a new career in the game.
Browns Trade Myles Garrett To Rams
JUNE 3: The third-rounder in 2029 is conditional, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. It will turn into a first-rounder if the Rams trade Garrett to a team in the Browns’ division, the AFC North.
JUNE 1, 11:20pm: Both teams have announced the trade. It is indeed Garrett for Verse, a 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder.
12:23pm: Myles Garrett‘s time in Cleveland is coming to an end. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is being traded from the Browns to the Rams, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero and ESPN’s Adam Schefter report.
The full trade terms, per Schefter, consist of Garrett being traded for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a second-round selection in 2028 and a 2029 third-rounder. This swap is not official yet, as Browns GM Andrew Berry confirms (video link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Once it is processed, though, it will no doubt go down as a seminal moment for both franchises.
[RELATED: Fallout From Browns-Rams Blockbuster]
Schefter reports Garrett has chosen to waive his no-trade clause to allow for this deal to take place. He will retain that clause upon arrival in Los Angeles. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes, today’s stunning swap represents the first time in history a reigning Defensive Play of the Year has been dealt.
Garrett has been the subject of trade speculation since he requested to be dealt last spring. That request was rescinded when a then-record extension was worked out. The seven-time Pro Bowler seemed to be in position to remain with Cleveland for years to come, but questions continued to be raised after the 2025 campaign saw him add further to his long list of accolades without any accompanying team success. Indeed, whispers about a trade lingered through the 2026 offseason.
In March, the Browns restructured Garrett’s contract in a way which did not add any new money or years to the pact. Nevertheless, the payment dates for his option bonuses were pushed back to one week before the start of the regular season. That move extended the window of opportunity for a trade – something Cleveland has denied would be taking place on multiple occasions – to be worked out.
June 1 is always a key checkpoint on the NFL calendar, and it was recently labeled the time after which a Garrett trade could occur. Just like the case of A.J. Brown, a deal formally being worked out any time after 3:00pm this afternoon will greatly impact the salary cap implications of the deal. Proceeding with this trade in a post-June 1 fashion will generate $8.34MM in cap savings for Cleveland with a $41MM dead money charge being spread out (and accounting for $15.53MM in 2026). Garrett’s contract runs through 2030.
Per Rapoport (video link), the Rams engaged in trade talks with the Browns shortly after the contract adjustment was made. Their efforts continued through the draft, with Cleveland remaining steadfast in rejecting offers. Things changed when Los Angeles general manager Les Snead offered to include Verse in the deal, though. Negotiations on an adjusted package of picks have now resulted in an agreement. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Rams informed Verse of the news earlier today.
Garrett has made clear his intention of playing on a contending team particularly toward the latter stages of his career. This blockbuster trade will help in that regard; the Rams fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance in 2025 and have made other win-now moves on defense since then. Garrett will join cornerback Trent McDuffie as a new face tasked with elevating Los Angeles’ defense while the teams seeks out another high-end campaign from quarterback Matthew Stafford and Co. on offense.
The Rams were a strong Brown suitor, but Breer notes their inability to acquire him helped set up this Garrett push. Another lucrative pact – one which averages $40MM per year – is now on the books, but Los Angeles will have a future Hall of Famer leading the way along a defensive front which was already among the league’s best. This acquisition will further deprive the Rams of draft capital (which was critical in establishing the post-Aaron Donald core on defense); then again, Snead’s stance when it comes to picks is rather well known.
Verse, whom Schefter notes was born in Dayton, Ohio, has enjoyed a strong start to his career. The 2024 first-rounder took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while thriving in a full-time starting role. Last season, the 25-year-old collected a second Pro Bowl nod in as many years while posting 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His rookie contract runs through 2028, and Cleveland could keep him in place for a longer period via the fifth-year option.
Since Verse is five years younger than Garrett, he will align better with the roster reset Berry is overseeing. The 2025 class offered promising early results with respect to a new core emerging for Cleveland. The fate of the quarterback position beyond 2026 is unclear, but additional capital should help yield options on that front or at least provide upgrades at other spots.
In a series of remarks which have proved to provide noteworthy foreshadowing, new Browns head coach Todd Monken said earlier on Monday (video link via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan) he was not given any assurances upon being hired about Garrett remaining with the team. Instead of having the single-season sack record holder in the fold for his first year leading an NFL team, Monken will be tasked with integrating Verse and developing the group of younger players brought in via Cleveland’s haul of draft picks.
Lions Add Chris Grier To Front Office
Lions general manager Brad Holmes is adding another experienced voice to his front office. Holmes has hired former Dolphins GM Chris Grier as a personnel executive, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
After the Dolphins struggled to a 2-7 start in 2025, they and the 56-year-old Grier parted ways on Halloween. The split ended a long run in Miami for Grier, who began his tenure with the organization as a scout in 2000. Grier worked his way up from there to become the Dolphins’ GM in 2016, though he did not have full autonomy at first. He reported to vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum until his late-2018 demotion.
Grier’s time atop the Dolphins’ front office included a pair of head coaching hires in Brian Flores (2019) and Mike McDaniel (2022). His first-round draft picks consisted of Laremy Tunsil, Charles Harris, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Christian Wilkins, Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Chop Robinson and Kenneth Grant. Grier spent other first-rounders on veterans Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb in high-profile trades. Out of that group, only Robinson and Grant are still with the organization.
Tagovailoa looked like a franchise quarterback at times in Miami, leading Grier to authorize a four-year, $212.4MM extension with $167.1MM guaranteed in July 2024. That decision proved disastrous for the Dolphins, who released the former fifth overall pick this past March and ate a record-breaking $99.2MM in dead money. They are spreading that money out over the next two years, meaning Tagovailoa will be on their books through 2027. The same goes for Chubb. Tagovailoa, Hill and Chubb will combine to count over $96MM in dead money against the Dolphins’ cap this season. Former Grier acquisitions like Waddle, Fitzpatrick and Jalen Ramsey are also among ex-Dolphins who are eating into their cap to significant degrees.
Miami went to the playoffs three times with Grier as its GM and finished better than .500 in five seasons, but the team never won a playoff game. Rookie GM Jon Eric-Sullivan, Grier’s replacement, is now leading a full-fledged rebuild.
Retired DT Aaron Donald Mulling Return
11:58pm: Donald is adding more fuel to the fire. In a conversation with Jordan Schultz, the defensive lineman acknowledged that he’s considering a comeback.
“I’m for sure flirting with the idea. Helluva an opportunity with the Super Bowl in SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it’s a possibility.”
2:35pm: The Rams added an all-time great defender when they acquired pass rusher extraordinaire Myles Garrett from the Browns on Monday. Garrett may not be the last future Hall of Famer to join the Rams’ defense before the upcoming season. On the heels of the Garrett trade, it appears retired Ram Aaron Donald is mulling a comeback.
When ESPN’s Pat McAfee contacted Donald via text about a potential return in the wake of the Garrett blockbuster, the 35-year-old admitted, “It for sure got me thinking.” Donald added that he’s “gotta see if that fire can light back up” after two full years out of the NFL.
With the Rams still based in St. Louis at the time, they spent the 13th overall pick in the 2014 draft on Donald. It quickly became one of the wisest decisions in franchise history, as Donald turned into one of the most dominant defensive tackles ever. He earned Pro Bowl honors in all 10 of his seasons, picked up eight first-team All-Pro selections (tied with Reggie White and Bruce Smith for most among D-linemen) and won the Defensive Player of the Year three times. Donald was also a major contributor on the Rams’ most recent Super Bowl-winning team in 2021.
The Rams were already atop the list of Super Bowl favorites for the upcoming campaign before they took a home run swing on Garrett. Although the trade cost them standout edge defender Jared Verse and three picks, including a 2027 first-rounder, they landed a player who set the single-season sack record (23) and won DPOY for the second time in 2025. Their odds of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy next February would only seem to improve with Donald, a well-known workout warrior who has stayed in shape in his post-playing days. With 111 sacks on his resume, he would join the likes of Garrett, Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Poona Ford to form a terrifying group up front.
When Donald walked away from the game in March 2024, there was one season left on the three-year, $95MM extension he signed in 2022. His retirement forced the Rams to spread $33MM in dead money over the previous two seasons ($24MM in 2024 and $9MM in ’25). Donald is off the team’s books now, but that will change if he makes the bombshell decision to return. The Rams have approximately $16.34MM in spending room, according to OverTheCap.
Falcons, Drake London Agree To Extension
The Falcons have locked in their top receiver for the foreseeable future. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team has signed Drake London to a four-year extension.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has the numbers. London’s four-year deal is worth $141MM and could reach $150MM via incentives. London will also earn $100MM in guaranteed money. That $35.25MM average annual salary is the highest in Falcons franchise history.
From a positional standpoint, London’s AAV will rank third behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($42.15MM) and Ja’Marr Chase ($40.25MM) and just ahead of Justin Jefferson ($35MM). The $141MM in total value also trails JSN and Chase and barely tops Jefferson’s $140MM. The $100MM in guaranteed money will rank behind all three of those aforementioned WRs and ties CeeDee Lamb for fourth at the position.
The eighth-overall pick in the 2022 draft, it took London a bit to emerge as a top-tier WR. Through his first two seasons, he averaged 70 catches for 885 yards and three touchdowns per season. However, he took his play to another level while receiving passes from Kirk Cousins in 2024. London finished that campaign with 100 catches for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. Despite that standout campaign, he didn’t agree to an extension with the Falcons last offseason, even as his fellow 2022 draftee Garrett Wilson received a lucrative new contract from the Jets.
London increase his yards-per-game mark to a career-high 76.6 in 2025. Since he was limited to only 12 games, his counting stats suffered as a result, with the 24-year-old finishing with 68 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. Pro Football Focus still graded London as the league’s fifth-best WR.
This extension means the Falcons can count on some offensive continuity in the coming seasons. The team is currently navigating a QB competition between Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa, and that duo will be throwing to a revamped WR depth chart that includes new addition Jahan Dotson and old friend Olamide Zaccheaus. This extension assures London will be present throughout crucial offseason practices.
The Falcons will now turn their attention their other offensive star, as running back Bijan Robinson is also eligible for an extension. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that it was a goal of the front office to extend their two main offensive weapons, and all focus will now turn to the first-team RB. The team could also look to extend tight end Kyle Pitts, who is currently attached to the franchise tag for the 2026 season.
Steelers To Extend OLB Nick Herbig
The Steelers have agreed to an extension with outside linebacker Nick Herbig, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. It’s a four-year, $100MM deal with $42MM in guaranteed money. He is now under contract through 2030.
Herbig, who joined the Steelers as a fourth-round pick in 2023, had been in position to reach free agency next year. While Herbig came up as a potential trade candidate before April’s draft, general manager Omar Khan made it known he wanted to extend the former Wisconsin Badger. Several weeks later, Khan has achieved his goal.
Herbig is now the third expensive edge defender in Pittsburgh, which also has T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on pricey deals. The Steelers are spending $84MM along the edge, which ranks second behind the Texans’ $96MM, Mike Ginnitti of Spotrac notes. Watt, who is signed through 2028, is owed a guaranteed $32MM this year. Meanwhile, Highsmith is due a nonguaranteed $14.5MM this season. He could become a free agent after 2027.
With Watt and Highsmith playing prominent roles throughout Herbig’s career, the 24-year-old has only started in 11 of 45 games in the pros. To Herbig’s credit, though, he has put up impressive production when on the field. Having totaled 16 sacks and nine forced fumbles, Herbig is expected to receive more playing time under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in 2026.
Herbig played just 17% of defensive snaps as a rookie, but his snap share jumped under the former head coach-coordinator duo of Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin from 2024-25. He was on the field for 50% of plays in 2024 and 60% last season, a year in which the Steelers went without Watt for three games as a result of a collapsed lung.
Herbig took advantage of an increase in usage for the AFC North champions, leading all edge defenders in pass rush win rate and piling up a career-high 7.5 sacks in 15 games (six starts). He also tallied three forced fumbles and set career bests in tackles (30), QB hits (18), pass deflections (three) and interceptions (one). Pro Football Focus ranked Herbig’s performance a stellar sixth among 119 qualified edge defenders (Highsmith and Watt were 12th and 31st, respectively). Superstars Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Will Anderson, Aidan Hutchinson and Trey Hendrickson were the only players at the position who earned higher pass-rushing grades than Herbig.
With Herbig becoming the 10th current edge defender on a $100MM-plus contract, the 2027 free agent market has lost a big fish well in advance. Tuli Tuipulotu, Byron Young, Kayvon Thibodeaux, YaYa Diaby, Jermaine Johnson and Myles Murphy are still on track to become free agents in a year, but at least a few of those players will likely join Herbig in signing an extension this summer.
Now that Khan settled Herbig’s long-term future, his focus could turn to pending free agent cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Locking up the three-year starter is a priority for the Steelers, whose defense is currently the most expensive in the league.
Rams Pursued Myles Garrett In 2022; Multiple Teams Submitted Offers For Browns DE In 2026
The Rams traded for Myles Garrett in a blockbuster deal with the Browns on Monday, but this was not the first time they attempted to acquire the All-Pro pass rusher.
Los Angeles’ pursuit of Garrett dates back to 2022, per Jourdan Rodrigue and Zac Jackson of The Athletic, when they were looking to reload and chase back-to-back Super Bowls. The Browns were not interested in moving Garrett then, nor had he made any effort to leave Cleveland.
[RELATED: Rams Give Browns Chance To Capitalize On Sell-High Opportunity]
The Rams, who also sent the Panthers an offer of two first-rounders and a third for Brian Burns, considered trading for Garrett again the next year but instead opted for a soft reset year as they developed their young talent. The Rams re-engaged after the Browns adjusted Garrett’s contract earlier this offseason. General manager Andrew Berry insisted the alterations were unrelated to a potential trade, but he protested too much.
Multiple teams submitted offers for Garrett, with the Rams emerging as the most persistent suitor, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Their package – first-, second-, and third-round picks plus 2024 first-round edge rusher Jared Verse – was too good to pass up. (The third-rounder, slated for the 2029 draft, is conditional, according to Howard Balzer of Cardswire.)
“No regrets,” Berry said (via Jackson). “Why now? The opportunity was too great.” Unlike last year, he added, Garrett did not request a move out of Cleveland.
The opportunity Berry speaks of is twofold. First is getting a young, cost-controlled edge rusher whose advanced metrics outpace his traditional production, something that was likely especially appealing to the Browns’ analytically-minded front office. Verse cannot replace Garrett – no player can – but he will still ensure high-quality play off the edge that no one else on Cleveland’s roster could replicate.
Second, and more importantly for the Browns, is adding draft capital that will help them land their desired quarterback prospect in 2027. Cleveland has been stuck in a black hole at the position for years; its annual search for a starter is practically a running joke around the NFL. Garrett should still have years of high-level play left in him, but at 30 years old, he is an imperfect fit for the Browns’ timeline, which is centered around strong draft classes in the last two years and finding a franchise QB next year.
Negotiations between the Rams and the Browns took off this spring with both teams growing confident in a deal by April’s draft. That was part of the calculus in Los Angeles’ surprising first-round selection of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Solidifying the future of the position allowed the Rams to sacrifice future draft picks that could have otherwise been spent on a different Matthew Stafford successor. Locking down a cost-controlled QB on a rookie deal will also ease the financial strain of absorbing Garrett’s contract along with Trent McDuffie‘s extension and potential long-term deals with players like Puka Nacua, Byron Young, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske.