He wants to be traded to a contender, and Myles Garrett thinks the Washington Commanders qualify. The Cleveland Browns edge-rusher and 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year gave an emphatic one-word answer to a question about whether or not he’d join the Commanders.
Speaking to ESPN’s Mina Kimes on The Mina Kimes Show during Super Bowl week, Garrett simply answered “absolutely,” when asked if the chance to team up with dynamic Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appealed to him.
Garrett credited Daniels with looking “great when we played him.” He was referring to Washington’s 34-13 win over the Browns back in Week 5, a victory inspired by Daniels throwing for 238 yards and a touchdown, while adding 82 yards on the ground.
Performances like that one are how Daniels transformed the Commanders from 4-13 to competing in the NFC Championship Game in just one season. Now, the Commanders need a similarly transformative player on an inconsistent defense.
Fortunately, Garrett believes he can add what’s missing along Washington’s front seven.
Myles Garrett Ready to Fill Key Role for Commanders
Garrett knows what he would bring the Commanders’ defense. He responded to Sports Illustrated’s Bryce Butler asking “would you like to go to the Commanders?” by pointing out, “I think they need a pass-rusher. I think that’s something that they dearly missed out there in the playoffs and some of the big games, and I feel like I can fill that role.”
The fit here is obvious, since few players of his generation boast Garrett’s track record for getting to quarterbacks. Garrett has 102 sacks since entering the pros as the first-overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
He’s logged 60 QB takedowns across the last four seasons, but Garrett still wants out of Cleveland. That’s good news for the Commanders, who need a dominant game-wrecker to make their active defensive front more effective, but the cost of any deal would be high, potentially as high as sending two premium draft picks to the Browns.
The price is steep, but Garrett “clearly should be a target,” according to Kimes’ colleague John Keim, who identified another possible issue. Keim also noted how the “Question will be how many teams can truly bid for him and can the Commanders top other offers.”
That last line tells a story. One where a new ownership group fronted by Josh Harris and Magic Johnson, along with the presence of Daniels, puts almost any elite player in the league within range of the Commanders.
Jayden Daniels, Myles Garrett Double Act Would Keep Commanders in Super Bowl Contention
Making sure this season’s unexpected success is no outlier should be the priority for general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. Spending major free-agency dollars to equip Daniels with an expensive, big-play wide receiver is an option, but making room for Garrett’s next contract makes more sense.
He can elevate the defense to a level matching the Daniels-led offense. Putting Garrett next to defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen, as well as roving linebacker Frankie Luvu, would give quarterbacks nightmares in 2025 and beyond.
It’s a potentially fearsome quartet, but Peters will face a tough time convincing the Browns to do a deal. Garrett is still under contract for another two years, while Browns GM Andrew Berry has maintained he wouldn’t even take two first-round draft picks to trade the marquee defensive end, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov.
Garrett’s comments at the Super Bowl suggest he’s ready to stand firm and push his claim to be dealt. Better yet, the 29-year-old sounds increasingly open to starting the next chapter of what’s likely a Hall of Fame career by wearing a Commanders uniform.
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