LOS ANGELES (AP) — Short of winning the Super Bowl, Myles Garrett did almost everything a defensive player can do in his first nine seasons in the NFL.
Now a member of a Los Angeles Rams team favored to raise the Lombardi Trophy next February, Garrett is ready to fill the one glaring hole in his football resume.
“Since the very beginning, it’s always been about winning. … And to have an opportunity to do that immediately? That was the opportunity that was too
difficult to pass up,” Garrett said at his introductory news conference Tuesday, one day after the blockbuster deal that sent him from Cleveland to Los Angeles.
Garrett had been to the playoffs with the Browns in 2020 and 2023, which were his only two winning seasons in Cleveland after being drafted first overall in 2017. With the Rams, the 30-year-old defensive end has joined an organization that has reached the postseason in seven of head coach Sean McVay’s nine seasons in charge, won the Super Bowl following the 2021 campaign, played in another, and came agonizingly close against Philadelphia and Seattle teams that ended up winning it all the past two seasons.
The Rams spent the offseason loading up for another Super Bowl push by addressing the defensive deficiencies that cost them in the 31-27 NFC title game loss to the Seahawks. They traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, signed fellow Chiefs defensive back Jaylen Watson in free agency, and capped it by acquiring a two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and five-time first-team All-Pro in Garrett.
The moves have Garrett expecting big things.
"I see a position to solidify myself here as well among the very greats,” he said.
Following a season where he set the NFL single-season record with 23 sacks and also had a career-high 33 tackles for loss, Garrett believes the Rams’ structure and support could allow him to reach even greater heights. He joins a defense that already ranked in the top 10 in points allowed and sacks, and Garrett expects an offense led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was voted NFL MVP after throwing for 46 touchdowns, to give him plenty of chances to close games out in the fourth quarter.
Those opportunities were few and far between in Cleveland, where Garrett had 125 1/2 sacks in 134 career games. The Browns went 58-90-1 during Garrett's time there.
“I mean, that did play into the decision as well, knowing I have the ability, you know, late game, to pin my ears back, not just because we need a play to be made, but because we have the lead and it’s obvious passing downs, being able to make those game-changing plays to win the game for us, those are things that appealed to me,” Garrett said.
Garrett has already taken steps to get comfortable in his new surroundings, striking a deal with nose tackle Poona Ford to secure the No. 95 jersey.
Garrett is also looking forward to getting in touch with NBA superstar LeBron James, who has spent the past eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, for more information about the city. Garrett described James as a “positive force in my life,” having received advice and mentorship from the Akron, Ohio, native and four-time NBA champion over the years since joining the Browns.
Garrett already has some familiarity with the region. His girlfriend, Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Chloe Kim, is from Torrance, California, in Los Angeles County. His father, Lawrence, was born in Los Angeles.
For all the initial excitement surrounding the trade, Garrett understands it will ultimately be judged by how he and the Rams fare on the field.
“Nothing changes for me,” he said. “I don't feel any pressure to be anything else, be anything different. As long as I'm myself and I come here to work every day and I'm a leader, the success will follow.”
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