Back in February 2025, I wrote a column pondering whether the Cleveland Browns should give in to the trade request that Myles Garrett put forth at the time. Cleveland somehow got past Garrett’s request at the time through another beefed up contract. By doing so, it seemed like Garrett was willing to sacrifice the ultimatum of playing for a contender, with the assumption that the Browns would focus on upgrading the quarterback position.
Instead, last year, we got Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur
Sanders, and an offensive display that was absolutely abysmal, leading to the firing of Kevin Stefanski as head coach. While the offense struggled, Garrett gave us a historic moment by notching a record-breaking 23rd sack of the season in the final moments of the last regular season game. That now ends up being his final game as a member of the Browns, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams earlier today.
I’ve had my share of wide-ranging emotions with the Browns or other Cleveland sports teams over the years. My brother was frustrated when I told him Garrett was traded. Coupled with the possibility of Deshaun Watson starting again this season, I get the sour sentiment. Right now, I am taking it in relative stride. A few weeks ago, I certainly preferred not trading Garrett. Now that the news is real, though, I feel…fine?
I definitely don’t hold any resentment with Garrett. It almost feels like when LeBron James left the Cavaliers after winning a Championship with the team in 2016. Instead of being upset when he left the first time, I had made peace with it the second time around because of what he had achieved. Granted, Garrett didn’t win a Super Bowl, but he gave the Browns his all for nine years, and he gave me a sports moment I’ll always remember (breaking that record). He’s more than earned the right to play for a contender like the Rams. I loved watching the NFC West battles between the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers last year, and I’ll continue rooting for Garrett to success in Los Angeles.
I’m a little indifferent to the Browns’ haul that they got in return, because those draft picks are (at the earliest) something that we won’t know the full picture of until the 2027 season. The early thought would be that Cleveland tries to pick their moment to trade the farm for a top pick in the draft to take their quarterback of the future. In the mean time, getting Jared Verse is a really nice addition. Granted, Verse is no Garrett, but no one is. Having Garrett has always been a luxury, but as we know, one player alone doesn’t guarantee a winning season. Getting younger with a high-potential player like Verse, and adding those draft picks, continues to (hopefully) set the stage for several years of impressive draft classes that started in 2025 with the likes of Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Carson Schwesinger, and Harold Fannin, and looks to continue in 2026 after the team drafted Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion, David Boston, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
As general manager Andrew Berry said after the trade:
Chief among the considerations to make the decision [to trade Garrett] was the inclusion of Jared Verse–a player our fan base will love. At 25 years old with two Pro Bowls and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award under his belt, we receive a young, elite player at a premium position who will only continue to improve in his third NFL season. Jared’s passion and relentless style of play will be embraced by our fans. He will fit right in with the established identity of our defense.
Now we know why new head coach Todd Monken hadn’t met with Garrett yet, but he still has the responsibility of turning around a young, roster with plenty of upside on the horizon.
