Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett formally requested a trade after a disappointing 2024 campaign.
Every team in the league would benefit from adding the perennial All-Pro to their team, but most of them are unlikely to find mutual interest. After years of rotting away on subpar teams, Garrett has made it clear that he wants to play for a Super Bowl contender. That limits Garrett’s potential landing spots to a handful of teams. Of those teams, few have as much of a need for an impactful defensive presence as the Buffalo Bills.
In 2024, the Bills lost their fourth straight postseason matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. This time, the heartbreaking loss came in the AFC Championship Game. As general manager Brandon Beane desperately searches for solutions to end that losing streak, he could be willing to sacrifice significant draft capital to obtain Garrett.
Bills offseason moves could reveal their interest in Myles Garrett
The Bills may reveal their interest in Garrett with their offseason moves and actions at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia suggested.
Buffalo is currently projected to have -$10.1 million in salary cap space by Over the Cap estimations, but they’re in a much better position than they were last year. Instead of releasing several key contributors, Buffalo can create plenty of cap space with restructures. The Bills could free up nearly $30 million in cap space by restructuring contracts for quarterback Josh Allen, left tackle Dion Dawkins and defensive tackle Ed Oliver. A looming pay cut or release of outside linebacker Von Miller could free up approximately $10 million.
If the Bills begin to free up as much room as possible while drifting away from pass rushers at the Combine, it could signal their intentions of trading for the future Hall of Famer.
Garrett won’t be cheap — he’ll likely cost at least one first-round pick to go along with other significant pieces — but his production could justify the cost. The 29-year-old has already proven he can thrive in cold-weather environments, and he’s still young enough to provide the Bills with several years of elite production.
Buffalo doesn’t have too many key free agents — cornerback Rasul Douglas headlines the group, following by a depth options and special teams players. Garrett has a $19.8 million salary cap hit in 2025, but Buffalo could reduce it by $14.8 million by converting his salary into a prorated bonus. That would allow the team to still fill other areas of the roster in free agency.