Myles Garrett

Bills Not Ruling Out Keeping Von Miller; Myles Garrett On Buffalo Radar?

March 2nd, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs’ Joe Thuney-at-left tackle solution looked passable in the team’s latest playoff win over the Bills, the AFC champions’ lone game with more than 30 points this season. Buffalo has seen improvement from Gregory Rousseau, but its pass rush has not seen enough from Von Miller‘s six-year $120MM contract.

Year 4 of that deal brings the first genuine release opportunity, and that is a legitimate consideration for the five-time reigning AFC East champions. Miller’s guarantees have been paid out. Were the Bills to move on from their highest-paid defender via a post-June 1 release designation, they would save $17.44MM. It is not certain that is how the team proceeds.

Miller is not a lock to be cut, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler classifying it as an iffy proposition. Miller could come back as an auxiliary rusher, though a reworked contract — most likely via a pay cut — would be necessary. The future Hall of Fame edge rusher is due to carry a $23.8MM cap number in 2025.

Rousseau and Miller remain under contract, as does former second-rounder A.J. Epenesa. Both Miller and Epenesa tallied six sacks last season; Rousseau led the way with eight. Neither Miller nor Epenesa recorded a postseason sack, while Rousseau notched each of his before the Chiefs rematch.

Rousseau remains one of the players the Bills want to extend, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Rousseau joins 2022 draftees Christian Benford and Terrel Bernard on Buffalo’s radar. We heard that was the case previously, and all are in contract years. The Bills have already started on their 2025 re-ups, giving Khalil Shakir a four-year extension. James Cook wants in, too, as he joins Rousseau, Benford and Bernard in a contract year.

The Bills also are likely to have an eye on another future Hall of Fame edge defender, one with more left in the tank. As the Browns reiterate they want no part of a Myles Garrett trade, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year keeps coming up. That is understandable, as Cleveland could collect a big trade package for its disgruntled superstar, who is not believed to be interested in a second Browns extension. As Browns brass would be ready to pay Garrett despite two seasons remaining on his contract, he is holding firm on his trade request.

The Eagles have been linked to Garrett at multiple points this offseason, and Graziano adds the Bills should be viewed as an interested party as well. Buffalo took a big swing on Miller in 2022, and it was going well before the two-time Super Bowl winner’s second ACL tear — sustained on Thanksgiving that year. Miller then failed to record a sack in 2023, as he barely resembled his pre-injury version. Miller returned to better form in his age-35 season but obviously pales in comparison to Garrett’s mid-2020s form. Garrett will turn 30 in December.

As the Browns keep fending off Garrett trade calls, Fowler adds they are believed to be dug in and willing to wait him out. It would stand to reason the Browns would hold on both due to Garrett’s importance to the team and his contract. If the Browns deal Garrett before June 1, they would be hit with a $36.2MM dead money bill. That would set the non-QB record. If Cleveland decides to move on after that date, it could split that amount over two years.

That said, the Browns would presumably be making Garrett’s next team better by trading him. Waiting until after the draft to make a trade would leave them with a package fronted by 2026 draft assets, whereas a deal now would arm the Browns with better picks. Though, a Bills or Eagles package now would not exactly do so due to the teams holding the Nos. 30 and 32 first-round picks. A first-rounder would be required to enter any Garrett trade sweepstakes, with other assets likely necessary for the Browns to have serious conversations about relenting on their long-held stance.

Not too many calls have come Cleveland’s way, however, according to Fowler. Teams do believe the Browns are “dug in” here. That remaining the case come training camp would put Garrett to a test in terms of accruing fines for missing camp workouts and then moving on to game checks. Though, the Browns have restructured Garrett’s contract; he would not be missing much in terms of paragraph 5 money, as his salary is $1.26MM.

Some around the league are skeptical the Browns will truly hang on here, per Fowler, even as Andrew Berry continues to insist they will. The prospect of collecting a trade package that could include multiple first-round picks may be too much to turn down. Garrett has themed his trade ask around landing with a Super Bowl contender, and if the Browns hold their ground beyond the draft, camp will be the next stage of this impasse.

NFC North Notes: Garrett, Lions, Pack, Vikes

March 2nd, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Before the Lions zeroed in on Za’Darius Smith at the 2024 deadline, they asked the Browns about their other starting defensive end. As calls came in for Myles Garrett months before his trade request, ESPN’s Kimberley Martin notes the Lions showed the most interest. At the time (as is the case now), the Browns were not interested in moving Garrett. It is interesting that the Lions pursued Garrett and then completed a deal with the same team for Smith, acquiring the two-year Garrett sidekick in a pick-swap deal. Smith is on the radar to stay in Detroit, at a lower rate compared to his two-year, $23MM deal agreed to in 2023. The Lions needed a D-end, having lost Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport for the season, but the Browns did not budge. It would be tough for the Lions to swing a Garrett deal now, as Hutchinson moves toward a market-setting extension.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

While Hutchinson will be on the Lions’ extension radar, the team will have two years of rookie-deal control after it exercises the standout pass rusher’s fifth-year option. That did not delay the Lions on Penei Sewell, which will make Hutchinson a player to monitor in an explosive edge defender offseason. The Lions, however, have only this year left on Kerby Joseph‘s rookie deal. The All-Pro safety is targeting an extension, indicating (during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show) he wants to be a “life-long Lion.” Joseph could be a 2026 franchise tag candidate, if nothing transpires on that front before the 2026 free agency period, as the team also has Brian Branch likely in its future extension queue. Branch has two years remaining on his rookie deal.
Staying on the subject of extensions, Quay Walker is a candidate for a 2025 Packers payday. Because rush and non-rush linebackers are grouped together on the fifth-year option formula, Walker’s option will check in at $14.75MM. No team has picked up an ILB fifth-year option since 2022 (Devin White), and Brian Gutekunst (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) did not make it sound like Walker would be an exception. “The linebacker for the fifth-year option is a little wonky because there’s so many edge guys that are part of that, which drives up that number, which probably isn’t great,” Gutekunst said. “But yeah, we’d like to find a way to keep Quay around here long-term, whether that be an extension or something.” The three-year starter will be in a contract year if/when the Pack decline his option.
Josh Myers should have a nice free agency market, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the four-year starter did not suffer an injury during the Packers’ wild-card loss to the Eagles. Healthy heading into free agency, Myers may check in as the second-best center option (behind the Falcons’ Drew Dalman) on this year’s market. Gutekunst praised Myers after the season, and the former second-rounder wants to stay. The Packers, who let center Corey Linsley walk before drafting Myers, also have a potential Zach Tom extension to prepare for this year.
If the Vikings are to re-sign Aaron Jones, something Kevin O’Connell would be in favor of, they would plan to reduce his workload, via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. Compiling a career-high 306 touches, the 30-year-old RB totaled 1,546 scrimmage yards — also the second-most in his career. The ex-Packer said he wants to stay in Minnesota, and his void date has been pushed back to March 11, giving the Vikes more time on a re-signing. Jones’ workload came in part because the Vikings lost faith in Ty Chandler, Seifert adds, leading to their second Cam Akers trade.
Neither Ed Ingram nor Blake Brandel are locks to be blocking for whichever running back the Vikings start in 2025. Brandel will see $1.65MM of his $2.6MM base salary become guaranteed on March 14, while the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes Ingram — who lost his RG job last season — is “highly unlikely” to be brought back at a $5.2MM base salary (thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program) in the final year of his second-round deal.

Eagles Have “Real” Interest In Myles Garrett

March 1st, 2025 at 10:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Ever since Myles Garrett publicly aired his trade request, the defending champs have been loosely mentioned as a suitor. It sounds like the connection is legitimate, as Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Eagles’ interest in the star pass rusher is “real.”

It certainly wouldn’t be out of character for the Eagles to take a major swing. As we noted previously, Howie Roseman has a penchant for acquiring big-name players, as the GM was either leading or part of Philly front offices that acquired the likes of A.J. Brown and Jason Peters. Both of those players required first-round picks, which is the reported starting value for any Garrett trade.

“Garrett could be this year’s version of Saquon Barkley for Howie [Roseman],” one GM told Russini. “He’s an impact add and isn’t a free-agent overpay. Howie’s not afraid to try stuff, and it fits where they are as a team.”

Besides stealing headlines, the Eagles naturally have some on-the-field reasons for pursuing a player like Garrett. The team isn’t expected to re-sign Josh Sweat, and impending free agent Brandon Graham is recovering from a season-ending triceps tear. Further, Bryce Huff disappointed after inking a $51MM deal last offseason, leaving 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith Jr. (and perhaps 2024 third-round pick Jalyx Hunt) as the only sure-things on the edge for the 2025 Eagles.

Garrett still has two years remaining on his contract worth around $20MM per season, and the pass rusher is hoping to reset the positional market with an extension. Even if the Eagles could convince the pass rusher to take a slight discount (and/or reduce his 2025 charge), the front office would still be pinching pennies when all was said and done. Russini suggests that a Garrett addition could come at the expense of the team’s free agent grouping, which includes Sweat, linebacker Zack Baun, defensive tackle Milton Williams, and guard Mekhi Becton (who reportedly wants to re-sign with the organization). The former Defensive Player of the Year would surely be worth that sacrifice, but it’s not like the Eagles have a seamless path to adding him to the roster.

Of course, a potential Eagles trade would be dependent on the Browns relenting to Garrett’s trade request. So far, Browns GM Andrew Berry has rejected the idea of trading Garrett. If the organization does ultimately honor the player’s wish, it sounds like the Eagles would certainly be a team to monitor.

Myles Garrett ‘Not Open’ To Extension With Browns

February 27th, 2025 at 11:52pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Myles Garrett is “not open” to a contract extension with the Browns, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.

Garrett’s trade request has been one of the biggest stories of the offseason. The Browns have insisted that they will not move Garrett and are reportedly willing to make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league to keep him in Cleveland. That contract could come in as high as $40MM per year, the highest APY of a non-quarterback in NFL history.

But this situation isn’t centered around money. Garrett knows he can get a top-of-the-market contract from most teams in the NFL, but he’s looking for something without a price tag: a Super Bowl. Based on his assessment of the Browns’ immediate future, they won’t be competing for a Lombardi trophy in the immediate future.

Garrett is entering his age-30 season but remains at the height of his powers, which is one of the motivations behind his trade request. He doesn’t want to chase a championship in the twilight of his career; he wants to lead a defense to the Super Bowl during his prime. Crucially, he doesn’t want to waste any time participating in a rebuild in Cleveland.

The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year is coming off of his fourth straight season of at least 14.0 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He set a career-high in the latter category with 22 in 2024 on his way to his sixth Pro Bowl and four first-team All-Pro selection. He would immediately be the best player on most defenses in the NFL and would likely fetch one of the biggest trade hauls in league history.

While the Browns would receive plenty of draft capital to rebuild their roster, the cap implications of trading Garrett make it a difficult move to swallow. If both sides maintain their current position, they’ll continue their standoff into the summer. Garrett will likely skip offseason workouts and refuse to participate in training camp. From there, he could even hold out into the regular season.

Prolonged hold-outs have rarely worked out in the players’ favor, but Garrett has a few factors working for him. First, if he genuinely doesn’t care about the money, he won’t mind forfeiting his game checks to get the trade he wants. He’s the type of player that can transform a defense overnight, and he would carry a low 2025 cap hit in a trade which would allow almost any team to acquire him.

Even if they get a massive trade offer, the Browns could still play hardball and ensure that Garrett plays for no one but them. However, how the team treats their former No. 1 overall pick will impact their reputation with other players around the league. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin once said that teams want “volunteers, not hostages.” Players feel the same way and could avoid Cleveland in the future if they think the team won’t honor a request to leave.

There’s no easy answer for the Browns, so their impasse with Garrett is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Once the team has more clarity on their roster after free agency and the draft, they may revisit the trade request as a way to kickstart their rebuild.

Josh Sweat Expected To Depart In Free Agency; Eagles On Radar For Myles Garrett

February 25th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Andrew Berry is not budging on his early-offseason Myles Garrett stances. The Browns are set against trading the future Hall of Fame pass rusher.

Reaffirming that at the Combine, the sixth-year GM said (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) the Browns are “not interested in moving him.” Other teams continue to circle, with the Browns having received calls on a player who has made it clear he wants out. Cleveland is prepping a monster Garrett extension offer — during what should be an explosive offseason on the EDGE market — but it is unclear how much that would move the needle for the disgruntled All-Pro.

As teams look into this matter, execs around the league are connecting the Eagles as a team that will be pursuing a pass rusher. This loose Philly-Garrett tie comes as Josh Sweat nears free agency. It does not look like the reigning Super Bowl champions will re-sign the standout edge rusher, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicating (h/t iHeartRadio’s Victor Williams) expectations are pointing to a Sweat exit in free agency.

Sweat could hardly have done more to finalize his case as a top-tier free agency in the upcoming class, having hounded Patrick Mahomes throughout Super Bowl LIX. Exposing a Joe Thuney-at-LT plan that had been moderately effective for the Chiefs en route to the Super Bowl, Sweat collected 2.5 sacks and forced an interception when he drove the Kansas City LT into Mahomes late in the first half. Sweat, 27, finished the season with eight sacks and did well to reestablish his value after accepting a March 2024 pay cut.

Playing for $10MM last season, Sweat will be aiming much higher as a first-time free agent. The former fourth-round pick signed a three-year, $40MM extension with the Eagles in 2021. He became the team’s 2024 edge-rushing centerpiece, as Brandon Graham went down with a triceps tear and Bryce Huff — thus far, at least — proved unworthy of the three-year, $51.1MM deal. Although the Eagles have Nolan Smith set to play a lead role in next year’s pass rush, third-round rookie Jalyx Hunt may still be viewed as a backup.

This has connected execs to Garrett for Philly. Some around the league mentioned the Eagles as a landing spot previously, citing Berry’s past working for Howie Roseman. The Eagles, who added a third-round pick by unloading Haason Reddick last spring, have made splashy trades under Roseman. They moved a first-rounder to add A.J. Brown in 2022, parted with a second to acquire Ronald Darby in 2017. Roseman was in the Eagles’ front office (but not yet GM) when they dealt first-, fourth- and sixth-round picks to obtain Jason Peters from the Bills back in 2009. Peters and Brown proved worthy of the trade costs.

Teams are prepared to part with a first-round pick and change for Garrett, even though Berry has continued to come out against any trade. Garrett, 29, would also be eyeing a big-ticket extension. That would affect teams’ trade offers, but the Eagles have shown a willingness to be creative to help fit contracts onto their cap sheet in the recent past. It might take a while to pry Garrett from Cleveland, with the draft looming as the first notable deadline here. But the Eagles have been willing to wait on big trades in the past.

Browns Rumors: Bitonio, Cousins, Newsome

February 23rd, 2025 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Parks

Towards the end of the Browns’ disappointing 2024 season, left guard Joel Bitonio said he had not yet decided whether to return for 2025 – the last year of his current contract – or retire. As Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported just yesterday, Bitonio is still working through his decision, though he plans to let the team know before free agency opens next month. The 33-year-old blocker confirmed retirement remains “within the realm of possibilities” (via Zac Jackson of The Athletic).

Like teammate Myles Garrett, Bitonio said he wanted to hear the Browns’ plans for a return to contention in 2025, including their quarterback strategy. However, he also made clear that his decision to keep playing or hang up his cleats would primarily be informed by health and family considerations.

Retaining a player as good as Bitonio on a $1.26MM base salary and $3MM roster bonus would doubtlessly be a welcome development for the Browns. Indeed, Cleveland has a major question mark at left tackle – regardless of whether Dawand Jones is medically cleared in time for training camp, as expected – and the team must also navigate Garrett’s trade request and meaningfully address the quarterback position despite having the second-worst cap situation in the league as of the time of this writing.

Previous reports indicated the Browns will sign a veteran QB in free agency even if they plan to select one in April’s draft, and Kirk Cousins was mentioned as one FA possibility. The fact that Browns HC Kevin Stefanski worked as Cousins’ quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator with the Vikings from 2018-19 is a driving force behind Cousins-Cleveland speculation, as is the fact that the cap-strapped Browns could likely sign the 36-year-old for the veteran minimum. Albert Breer of SI.com confirms Cousins’ contract with the Falcons includes offset language, meaning that if he is released as expected, the only way he will land a deal in excess of the minimum in 2025 is if another team believes he is worth more than the $27.5MM for which Atlanta is already on the hook (which is highly unlikely, and Cousins has no real incentive to seek a higher payout and reduce his number of potential suitors).

Breer appears to agree that the signs pointing to an accord between Cousins and the Browns are real. He also expects the team to draft a QB regardless of whether Cousins or a different free agent is added to the mix. Cleveland, which presently holds the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, is already assured of landing either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders – the top prospects in an admittedly maligned class of collegiate QBs – though GM Andrew Berry has said he believes the class includes starting-caliber passers outside of Ward and Sanders.

Many people around the league agree Cousins will be a Browns target, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline writes. Especially if Cleveland does not manage to land Ward in the draft, the veteran could rebuild his value with a familiar face in the form of Stefanski while providing the team with a much-needed affordable short-term option under center.

The Browns have understandably stated they do not want to trade Garrett, but if they reverse course and unload him, they could also have a decision to make on their top cornerback, Denzel Ward. Ward, who is under club control through 2027 but who has no guaranteed salary due to him beyond 2025, has said Garrett’s trade request has a “huge impact” on his own future (thereby suggesting he could be planning his own exit strategy if Garrett were to be dealt).

For what it’s worth, Ward’s fellow CB, Greg Newsome II, previously said he wants to remain with the Browns for the long haul, a desire that he recently reiterated (via Cabot). He said he would try to talk Garrett out of his trade request, as he believes the team is just a quarterback away from being a legitimate contender.

Newsome is due to play out the 2025 campaign on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, which will pay him over $13MM. His hope to be a long-term member of the Browns notwithstanding, he indicated he is looking for a larger role in the defense.

In 2024, the former first-round pick played a career-low 70% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps, as Martin Emerson – who is extension-eligible for the first time this offseason – was Ward’s primary partner on the boundaries. That left Newsome to man the slot, and with opposing offenses favoring two-tight end sets, he did not see as much action as he would have liked.

“[T]here were games I was on the field 25% and 30% of the game, and as a football player, I feel like fans don’t understand, you can’t get in a rhythm for being on the field, out of 50 snaps, 15 snaps,” Newsome said. “That’s not how you play football. And that’s never what I’ve had to do in my career so far, so this was the first year of that and it was obviously a little frustrating, but I think we’ll figure this out.”

Newsome added that there have been no real extension talks between his camp and the Browns this offseason. Such conversations may not be at the top of Berry’s agenda at the moment, and if and when substantive talks do take place, Newsome’s recent trouble with his left hamstring – he had surgery on it prior to last summer’s training camp and then reinjured it in December – will be raised.

Nonetheless, Newsome said he is fully healthy and is ready to prove as much in what could be a platform year.

Browns Preparing Myles Garrett Extension Offer; Team Still Unlikely To Consider Trade?

February 18th, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

The future of Myles Garrett remains uncertain at this point, with his public trade request still standing. It would come as no surprise around the league if a deal sending him away from the Browns were to take place, but Cleveland’s intention remains keeping him in the fold.

Two years remain on Garrett’s pact, and he is owed roughly $45MM across that span. Without any outstanding guaranteed salary on the deal, any acquiring team would need to work out an extension moving him near (or to) the top of the edge rush financial pecking order while providing new locked in money. The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year is not using his trade request as a means of securing a new contract, however.

In spite of that, the Browns’ willingness to work out a raise with Garrett appears to be undeterred. As The Athletic’s Zac Jackson notes, the team looks to be prepared to make a “monstrous” extension offer which would keep the 29-year-old in Cleveland. (subscription required). Any new commitment on Garrett’s part would of course put to rest the chances of a trade for at least the near future and make it likely he would finish his decorated career with the Browns.

Team and player are not in alignment with respect to contending in the immediate future, and uncertainty at the quarterback spot represents a suitable reason on Garrett’s part to prefer a change of scenery. With that said, Cleveland will be able to afford an inexpensive bridge starter in free agency once the latest Deshaun Watson restructure takes place, and the No. 2 selection in April’s draft could give the team the opportunity to add a rookie to the mix. Especially if the Browns make a notable addition under center, they could attempt to rebuke trade offers and retain Garrett for 2025 and beyond.

On that point, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes the team could very well be prepared to wait this situation out through the start of next season (subscription required). She adds that could even be the case if Garrett were to sit out games in 2025, something which would be aimed at accelerating the trade process. Offers including at least one first-round pick and more can be expected this offseason from interested suitors, although general manager Andrew Berry has previously stated a pair of Day 1 selections would not be sufficient to make a trade something he would be prepared to entrain.

That sentiment would no doubt especially hold true after the draft, so late April represents an unofficial deadline for any movement on the Garrett front. If a renewed effort were to be made by the Browns to work out an extension, a new wrinkle to this situation would come into play.

Execs Predict Browns Will Trade Garrett

February 16th, 2025 at 6:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Every indication out of Cleveland is that the Browns do not want to trade Myles Garrett, but other teams believe they will have to oblige his request.

Four executives think that the Browns will deal Garrett this offseason, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post. Philadelphia was mentioned multiple times as a potential landing spot, citing Browns general manager Andrew Berry‘s history with Eagles GM Howie Roseman. Berry spent the 2019 season as the Eagles’ vice president of football operations under Roseman before returning to Cleveland for his current job.

One AFC general manager predicted that the Browns could receive two first-round picks, though Berry has previously said that compensation wouldn’t soften their anti-trade stance. However, with the Eagles picking 31st overall in 2025 and likely a similar spot in 2026, their picks may be less valuable relative to what other teams can offer.

Ultimately, a trade is unlikely to come together quickly. Unless the Browns – who already hold the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft – really want to add more 2025 draft capital, they’re incentivized to wait until after June 1 to move Garrett.

As of right now, Cleveland is projected to be more than $30MM over the 2025 salary cap, per OverTheCap. They can create enough space with a few restructures, but moving Garrett would set them back further. So much of his money has been prorated into the future that a pre-June 1 trade would result in a $16.5MM decrease in salary cap space. The Browns would have to eat all $36.2MM of dead money in 2025, while a post-June 1 trade would allow them to divide it between two years.

An early trade offer, therefore, would have to blow the Browns out of the water to make it worth the cap gymnastics required to facilitate the deal. Cleveland could also be hoping that they can improve the roster enough this offseason to convince Garrett to stick around.

Teams Calling Browns On Myles Garrett; Trade Still Considered Unlikely

February 9th, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Myles Garrett opened Super Bowl week with his public trade request. His situation remains a major league storyline, although the Browns still have no intention of dealing away the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.

Garrett’s remarks in recent days have confirmed his desire to be moved is not a ploy to secure new guarantees on another Cleveland extension. Rather, the four-time All-Pro wants to join a contender, a situation the Browns are unlikely to find themselves in coming off a 3-14 campaign. Quick turnarounds can and do happen in the NFL, but suitors with a more established quarterback situation can sell themselves as more desirable destinations for the remainder of Garrett’s prime.

“Speaking with the management of the Browns, at this current time, I don’t feel like our future is aligned with winning right now,” the 29-year-old said on ESPN’s Sunday Countdown (video link). “That’s what I’m looking forward to doing at this stage of my career. I have a lot of love for northeast Ohio and a community that brought me into the league. But I want to get to contending and winning playoff games and be in games like [the Super Bowl].

Teams are believed to be willing to offer the Browns at least one first-round pick (potentially two) in the event the team changes its stance. That has not happened yet, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports interested teams do not expect their calls to result in serious traction on the trade front. Given the extent to which Garrett – who has two years left on his pact but no guaranteed money – is committed to a fresh start, though, interest could remain high in the build-up to the new league year in March.

Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes teams from both conferences have been in touch with the Browns about the former No. 1 pick (subscription required). They have been informed a deal is still not under consideration, she adds, although Cleveland has apparently added “stay tuned” to the team’s response. Any number of suitors would be interested in at least exploring a trade on this front, and a bidding war could easily ensue amongst teams prepared to part with significant draft capital.

Garrett has amassed at least 10 sacks in each of the past seven years. The six-time Pro Bowler has added 107 tackles for loss over that span, one which has seen him cement his status as one of the best Browns in franchise history and one of the top defenders (regardless of position) in the league. If calls continue to come in, the possibility of a Garrett deal will remain a talking point around the NFL. It will be interesting to see if Cleveland’s front office will budge in the coming weeks or if this saga will stretch deep into the offseason.

Myles Garrett Trade Could Alter CB Denzel Ward’s Browns Future

February 6th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the countdown to the Super Bowl continues, one of the top storylines around the NFL is Myles Garrett‘s future. The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year has requested a trade, something the Browns have no intention of honoring.

Teams will no doubt make contact about a potential deal, though, with suitors prepared to offer at least one first-round pick to acquire Garrett. In the event the four-time All-Pro were to depart Cleveland, he may not be the only impact defender on the move. Cornerback Denzel Ward might reconsider his situation with an eye on following Garrett to his new team.

“[The request] has a huge impact, honestly,” Ward said about the escalation of Garrett’s situation (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). “I want to play with Myles Garrett… So I’ve been talking to him and I know he said he wants out, but you’ve just got to hear where he’s coming from. He wants to win, so we’ll see what the near future holds.”

Those comments leave the door open to Ward, 27, requesting a trade of his own in the event the Browns change their plans and move forward with a Garrett deal. The latter has two years (and no guaranteed salary) remaining on his pact, although his trade request is not considered a means of acquiring more negotiating leverage. Ward, meanwhile, is on the books through 2027, although his only remaining locked in salary covers the 2025 campaign.

“I want to be in Cleveland,” the Ohio State product added. “I want to win. I’m definitely keeping an eye on what Myles has going on and what’s he doing. I’m just interested in seeing how everything plays out.”

Garrett floated the possibility of a trade when making it clear he wanted to see the Browns’ offseason outlook to determine his own future. Cleveland does not plan on embarking on a long-term rebuild, and head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry are under contract for the foreseeable future. The quarterback position is an area of uncertainty, though, and without a notable addition under center (among other moves) the Browns will be hard-pressed to contend in the AFC in 2025.

Selected fourth overall in 2018, Ward has provided strong play for the Browns since his arrival. He has amassed four Pro Bowl selections during his career, one which has included considerable ball production. Ward has racked up 17 interceptions and 95 pass deflections (including a league-leading 19 in 2024) to date. In the build-up to the trade deadline – during which edge rusher Za’Darius Smith and wideout Amari Cooper were dealt – Ward was understandably labeled as an untouchable asset for the Browns despite their seller’s standpoint. Whether or not that changes in the coming days or weeks will be interesting to monitor.

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