The Cleveland Browns shipped away star edge rusher Myles Garrett in a blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Rams, a deal that could bring more than one benefit to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN reported that the trade is reminiscent of another blockbuster deal for the Rams, the 2021 trade that landed quarterback Matthew Stafford and led to a Super Bowl win later that season.
“The Cleveland Browns have agreed to trade two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse and multiple draft picks, the teams announced Monday,” noted the report from insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Adam Schefter. “The Browns receive a first-round draft pick in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-rounder in 2029 in what is one of the biggest trades in NFL history involving a defensive player.”
The deal will help the Browns build for the future and give the Rams more ammo for a Super Bowl run, but will also help the Steelers avoid a nemesis — and get him out of the conference entirely.
Myles Garrett Trade Helps Pittsburgh’s ‘Win-Now’ Approach
While the assets gained through the Garrett trade will give the Browns plenty of ammunition to rebuild, it will likely set them back for the 2026 season. That aligns perfectly with the approach the Steelers have taken, leaning in to the coming season with a “win-now” approach in what will be quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ final year in the NFL.
Rodgers said he was uncertain about his future after Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down, but said the team’s decision to hire his longtime coach, Mike McCarthy, prompted him to return for one final season.
“When he said he was stepping away, that was an emotional moment just because we all love him so much and care about him, and I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh,” Rodgers said, via ESPN. “But when the decision was made to hire Mike, I started opening my mind back up to coming back.”
Myles Garrett Out of the Conference
The Steelers will benefit from a division without Garrett, and the decision to trade him to the NFC West means they will not have to compete for a playoff spot. Though the Browns had initially been adamant in denying trade offers, the Rams reportedly wore them down and crafted a winning offer.
Prior to the blockbuster announced on Monday, there had been speculation that some AFC teams could be in the running for Garrett, including the New England Patriots.
Rob Gregson of A to Z Sports suggested that the Patriots would solidify their standing as Super Bowl contenders if they landed Garrett — which would have put a major roadblock in front of the Steelers.
“Insert not only a ready-made starter, but the best defensive player in the NFL, and New England’s Super Bowl window just got extended,” Gregson wrote. “Garrett may have just turned 30, but pass rushers have proven to excel into their mid-30s. Garrett also isn’t your average pass rusher. He’s tormented opposing offensive tackles and coordinators for years. I would love to see him with a defensive genius and culture setter like Mike Vrabel.”
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