We’ve all seen the meme passed around social media of the Popeyes worker sitting by themselves on a bench, completely spent. It’s a mainstream metaphor of simply needing to take a break from the chaos of life. In one of its most recent uses, Myles Garrett decided to throw it on his Instagram story.
Myles Garrett via his IG…. 🧐🧐🧐 pic.twitter.com/TszXuEzTAe
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) January 29, 2026
Be it prophetic, venting or simply sending mixed messages, Cleveland’s star EDGE rusher is, once again, making this offseason about himself. Last year, it was about demanding more money or a trade. Now it’s him realizing what doubling down with the Browns means. This cryptic message could mean quite a few things, from the Browns hiring Todd Monken or essentially ushering Jim Schwartz out the door by not hiring him.
Either way, it makes you wonder, what would it take for Garrett’s outburst — no matter how loud or quiet they are — to cease? Could he be traded, realistically, before the season or at any point? Probably not, but if he did, these teams shouldn’t waste another minute, not inquiring about one of the league’s best.
New England Patriots
New England has capitalized on Drake Maye’s rookie contract in the best way possible. They’ve spent frivolously this past offense to ensure they had a team capable of winning. Now they’re in the Super Bowl. Trading for Garrett would give them that elite EDGE rusher they need and put Garrett on a team that’s actually set up to win.
Who knows when the Browns will actually be serious contenders and if Garrett will be active in the NFL long enough to see it. New England wasn’t going to stay down forever and their return to the Super Bowl just proves why they are probably one all-in move away from anchoring one of the best turnarounds in recent history.
The Patriots should be back in the playoff fold for quite some time, health withstanding. Even if they aren’t championship contenders like they were for the 20-plus seasons Tom Brady was there, they’ll have far more success than Cleveland ever will with Garrett.
Washington Commanders
When you have the NFL’s oldest roster, you compound that by adding an aging EDGE rusher right? Well, it could work, especially because, like the Patriots, the Commanders have a quarterback on a rookie contract, and until they have to pay him, they have to build this roster up. They need improvements in the receiver room, but they also need to improve their pass rush.
Adding Garrett would give them the player they need to build this defense around. In a hypothetical trade, they have the one thing few teams can offer, and that’s a high first-round pick in this year’s draft. Again, this isn’t necessarily likely, but if the Commanders truly want to improve their defense, it could be intriguing to see Garrett in the NFC East.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville needs an organic pass rush badly. They wasted away the No. 1 overall pick on Travon Walker who just hasn’t quite panned out as good as Aidan Hutchinson would have been, who went No. 2 overall in the same draft. The Jaguars could make up for that by landing Garrett and fortify their spot atop the AFC. The Jags’ defense needs some help and adding a player like Garrett would go a long way to making them competitive for the next few years in the AFC.
When you have to deal with quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Drake Maye, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, why wouldn’t you want one of the most feared EDGE rushers in the NFL? The Jaguars have unlocked the most prestigious thing a team can have which is a championship window; now they need to capitalize on that.
Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams did a 180 from his rookie season and one thing’s for certain: The Bears’ offense is no longer a liability. Their defense is, though. They need a massive improvement in their pass rush, which is why landing a player like Myles Garrett isn’t a bad idea. Williams made some bad decisions, but you could argue that the Bears’ defense held them back a bit this year.
It probably won’t be Garrett, but the mere idea of adding an EDGE rusher to this team should be a top priority. If somehow Garrett became available, the Bears would have to pounce. If not, they need to very quickly turn to a Plan B if they want to build on this past season’s playoff run.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles defense took a hit this past year with Josh Sweat out west in Arizona. This could very well be the easiest decision for the Eagles as they could dangle A.J. Brown in front of the Browns and sway them into a desperate move to improve their offense. Of course it cost way more than Brown, but it would be intriguing and free up some space for Philly to take on Garrett’s contract.
The Eagles already have the run defense on lock with Jalen Carter on the interior of the defensive line. Adding Garrett off the edge would absolutely get them back in position to make a run at the Super Bowl. It’s not the final piece, but it’s certainly a massive boost if they can offload one disgruntled player to bring in a player that will instantly make them elite again.