Many believed that the Cleveland Browns and DE Myles Garrett had put any drama and trade talk to bed last offseason when they agreed to a huge contract extension. Garrett proceeded to break the all-time single-season sack record in 2025 while the Browns went on to another losing season and a high pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The problem is, much like last season, Cleveland doesn’t have a certain solution for the problem at the quarterback position, and this year’s draft is lacking a top option for the team.
This offseason, Garrett was pulled over for speeding, a report came out that he was not in contact with the coaches, and, now, a contract adjustment that makes the Browns star far more tradeable. The decision has rightfully led to rumors once again flying about a potential Garrett trade.
The problem? A Garrett trade is a three-way dance between Cleveland, another team, and the star defender himself.
Garrett has a no-trade clause in his contract, which allows him to dictate where he would be traded if he were okay with being traded. The Browns would not just be negotiating with, let’s just say for this discussion, the Dallas Cowboys, but also communicating with Garrett about not only which team but what that team would be giving up for him.
If, again, just for this conversation, the Cowboys knew Garrett wanted to be there and had the power to veto other deals, would Jerry Jones really offer the top price in a trade? Would Garrett be okay with the team he was going to moving on from at least two first-round picks, plus a young talent, and more draft capital? Garrett saw what the lack of draft capital did for the Browns after the Deshaun Watson deal.
If those factors limit the offers that come in, why would the team make a deal for less than they could have gotten last year when they denied all trade calls?
For Cleveland, the contract move does provide a bit of cap relief and a lot of flexibility to potentially move Garrett in a trade. For Garrett, it gives the star player more options for being traded, including this year, as well as a little more money upfront.
Garrett’s new contract details make it easier for him to be traded, but that doesn’t mean a trade will be easy to pull off. Trying to get two people to agree on a place to eat can be difficult; imagine adding a third person, plus all three have competing interests, and the decision is about a multimillion-dollar transaction, not dinner.
Given the no-trade clause, do you think the Browns will find a big enough offer to deal Garrett in the next two years? What should they demand in a deal?
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