The Cleveland Browns want us all to believe Myles Garrett will be a member of their team until he retires. However, their latest contract adjustment with the NFL's newest single-season sack leader signals his departure is more likely than ever.
According to a report from ESPN, Garrett and the Browns agreed to push some of his bonus payments into the future, specifically a week before the first regular season game of the next three NFL seasons. That means the Browns are not on the hook for that extra cash if Garrett somehow isn't on the roster by those deadlines.
A reminder here that the Browns made date changes in each of 2026, 2027, and 2028. So while there appears to be no imminent "trade" pressure here, the contract is now setup to open up that opportunity in the near future.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 27, 2026
Why Myles Garrett's new deal opens door for Browns to trade him
The plainest way to explain it: The Browns made it exponentially easier to trade Garrett and he agreed to their proposition. Seeing the NFL's two-time Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro selection playing for a contender is a visual much closer to reality than it was before.
The appetite for a blockbuster playmaker on defense is certainly out there. Multiple teams were ready to offer a king's ransom for Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby until the Baltimore Ravens tainted the market with their revoked offer of two first-round picks.
Garrett isn't Crosby. In fact, he's much more in terms of return on investment and health reliability. He could easily command three first-round picks from a suitor. If you think about it, Cleveland may be laying the groundwork for a future palatable trade by proposing a new rule that would allow teams to trade draft picks up to five years in the future instead of three.
These potential playoff contenders have the means and motive to entice Cleveland into freeing Garrett after nine seasons.
Myles Garrett landing spots if the Browns finally trade their star
Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones made a swap with the Green Bay Packers for pass rusher Rashan Gary on March 9 but the league's worst defense in 2025 still has a Micah Parsons-sized hole to fill. Garrett's record 23 sacks in 2025 show he's in the peak of his career and would exceed Parsons' output even if he was still in Dallas.
The Cowboys have two first round picks this April (No. 12 and No. 20) and could easily use one of those in a trade package. Given Jones' reported pursuit of Crosby, it shouldn't shock anyone if he offers pick No. 20 this year, his 2027 first and a 2028 second-round selection in order to not be outbid on this star. If a deal forms after the draft, just shift that exact offer back a year (2027, 2028 firsts and a 2029 second).
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo's championship window is shrinking and it would be a shame to see QB Josh Allen end up with a legacy worse than Jim Kelly's. Looking back at the Bills' most heartbreaking playoff losses, they've mostly come down to one or two drives where the defense failed to come up with a crucial stop. Adding Garrett would give Buffalo a true playmaker on that front who could make that big play to save a playoff victory.
The Bills could make a more enticing offer to Cleveland by sending a player back in return. Exchanging two first round picks (whether 2026 and 2027 or pushing back a year each) plus DE A.J. Epenesa should get the job done. Epenesa is a veteran with plenty of upside remaining and has hit the six-sack mark three times in his six-year career.
Detroit Lions
Lions fans sniffed the franchise's first ever Super Bowl during the 2023-24 playoffs but ultimately could not reach the promised land. Head coach Dan Campbell has buy in from his players on his philosophy but is just a piece or two away from getting over the hump. Adding Garrett to pair with Aidan Hutchinson would make Detroit's defense the most feared in the NFL.
Getting Cleveland to agree to a trade, however, is going to take buy in from Detroit's front office. They'd likely have to mortgage the team's future on bringing in Garrett and Campbell's job would be on the line if no Lombardi Trophy is brought back to Motor City by the time the 30-year-old's contract is up in 2031. The standard two first round picks would be necessary but Detroit might have to pile on up to six late-round selections in later years (potentially benefitting from Cleveland's rule proposal) to beat out teams like Dallas.
New England Patriots
The Patriots had an all around juggernaut of a team in 2025 but their soft schedule ended up contributing to that illusion until Super Bowl LX. Their defense was wildly exposed by the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, leaving their 2026 opponents a valuable film session to study. Garrett's presence would solve a lot of problems and take New England from contender to champion status.
Their options are actually a bit multi-faceted when it comes to what they can offer. Of course, two first round picks are required but after that they could tack on a third-rounder (pick No. 95 this April) to get Cleveland moving sooner than later. If not that, then offering a first-rounder, a third-rounder (whether 2026 or 2027) and tacking on a player like Buffalo might should also be enticing enough. New England also has sufficient cap space to absorb Garrett's $23.47 million hit this coming season.