The Cleveland Browns have shocked the NFL by trading away their best player, defensive end Myles Garrett, to the Los Angeles Rams. In return, the Browns received star pass rusher Jared Verse and three draft picks (including a 2027 first-round selection), but it’s clear that Garrett’s landing with a loaded L.A. team has shaken up the league.
After requesting a trade last offseason, Garrett ended up changing course and signing a four-year, $160 million contract extension with Cleveland. Just a year later, though, the Browns decided to trade Garrett, despite the fact that he didn’t even request a trade this time around. However, reports indicate that Garrett was open to landing with a new team, particularly after the team made a controversial decision at the head coach position earlier this offseason.
Browns Passing on Jim Schwartz May Have Cost Them Myles Garrett
All offseason long, there have been subtle signs that Garrett could be on the move, and now, we have the blockbuster trade that confirms our suspicions. While the Rams began discussing a Garrett trade with the Browns in the wake of the 2026 NFL Draft, this situation can really be traced back to the team’s decision to hire Todd Monken as its new head coach.
After firing Kevin Stefanski in the wake of the 2025 campaign, Cleveland began a search for a new head coach. The long and winding process dragged on for quite a few weeks, but as things neared a conclusion, it seemed like defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was likely going to be promoted to fill the head coach position. Instead, Monken, who was formerly the Baltimore Ravens‘ offensive coordinator, got hired.
Schwartz was not happy with this decision, and he promptly resigned from his post with the team. While the Browns were not good last year, Schwartz helped the defense remain one of the top units in the league, with Garrett leading the way. Once Schwartz was gone, though, that opened the door for a new coaching staff to decide it was time to move on from Garrett.
“Garrett might not have requested another trade but he obviously was open to new scenery,” Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN wrote in a post on X. “Even after his ‘25 extension, an air of uncertainty lingered over the relationship. His commitment to CLE was always contingent on the franchise’s commitment to winning. Passing over Jim Schwartz for HC didn’t help matters.”
Did the Browns Mishandle Their Myles Garrett Dilemma?
GettyThe Cleveland Browns have traded Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.
Garrett’s trade saga is almost backwards in a sense, because he got traded during the offseason where he didn’t actually request a trade. Conversely, the team decided to hold onto Garrett last offseason, despite the fact that he made it publicly known he wanted out of town. In the middle, Garrett got a record-breaking contract extension, meaning Cleveland paid a lot of money for one season of otherworldly production that ultimately went to waste.
The Browns certainly had more leverage this time around, thanks in large part to Garrett not publicly requesting a trade, which is why they were able to get a star like Verse. However, they could have saved themselves some money had they just traded him last offseason, so it’s tough to tell whether or not the team really helped itself out. At the end of the day, Garrett is gone now, and Cleveland will look to use the assets it received in this deal to help kickstart its rebuild.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Browns’ Controversial Head Coach Move May Have Led to Myles Garrett Trade appeared first on HEAVY.