Myles Garrett rumors don't favor the Lions or Eagles despite NFC dominance

Myles Garrett officially requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns on Monday. It's hard to blame the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end, who suffered through Cleveland's three-win season in what felt like the ultimate exercise in futility.

Nobody can blame Garrett for the Browns' demise. He finished the 2024 campaign with 14.0 sacks and 47 tackles, including a league-leading 22 tackles for a loss. That was good enough for his fourth All-Pro nod, placing him among the very best at his position.

Garrett has accomplished just about everything he can from an individual standpoint. He's a former DPOY with every manner of personal accolade under his belt. The 29-year-old has even been to the playoffs a couple times. What's missing from Garrett's resume, however, is extended success on the postseason stage. The team around him just has not held up its end of the bargain.

As the Browns stew in quarterback troubles and look to head coach Kevin Stefanski for answers that may never come, it's only natural for Garrett to seek a fresh start. One has to imagine his primary goal is winning a Super Bowl, which could mean a move to the NFC is the best outcome for all parties.

That said, the latest betting odds don't favor Garrett joining a proper heavyweight, such as the Philadelphia Eagles or Detroit Lions.

Browns' Myles Garrett might end up with another rebuilding AFC team per latest odds

On the surface, trading Garrett to an NFC contender makes all the sense in the world. He could be the piece that pushes Philadelphia or Detroit over the top, and Cleveland would at least get him out of the conference.

According to DraftKings, however, the odds favor Garrett sticking in the AFC.

There are several forces at play here. First and foremost, the Browns don't actually want to trade Garrett. He can request a trade all he wants, even threaten to hold out, but Cleveland is not obligated to send him elsewhere. The Browns were in the playoffs a year ago and appear dead-set on adding a new quarterback, which could reignite their postseason dreams. Trading Garrett would kneecap Cleveland before the offseason even really starts.

The financial implications of trading Garrett also merit consideration. He's due $19.7 million in 2025 and $20.3 million in 2026. That is incredible value for a player of his caliber, but it's too much for some of the more expensive rosters, such as Detroit or Philadelphia, to realistically bear without a reshuffling of the deck. The top contenders don't generally have the best draft capital to trade either.

It's far more likely for a rebuilding team, such as the Las Vegas Raiders (+650) or the New England Patriots (+850), to acquire Garrett. Those teams can offer top-10 picks and absorb Garrett into a relatively clean cap sheet.

Las Vegas and New England stand out as particularly intriguing possibilities.

The Raiders just hired Pete Carroll and expedited their competitive timeline rather aggressively. Tom Brady has a lot of sway in the organization and he's not looking to sit around in the NFL basement. He wants to put the Raiders back on the map ASAP.

The Patriots, meanwhile, also hired an experienced, defense-first head coach in Mike Vrabel. Drake Maye looks the part of a franchise quarterback and he's only in the second year of his rookie contract. Now is the time to trade for All-Pro talent and run up the payroll, before Maye invariably commands a more significant chunk of change down the line.

Cleveland can (and probably will) rebuff trade overtures for now, but Garrett has plenty of leverage, and the Browns don't need a major locker room distraction hanging over training camp. As the days, weeks, and months progress, don't be shocked if the Browns show a greater willingness to shop their best player.