On February 3, 2025, Cleveland Browns star defensive end and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett publicly requested a trade to a team that better contended for a Super Bowl. The Browns drafted Garrett with the first overall pick in 2017 and have used him as their foundational player on defense for eight years. His absence, whether in Cleveland or elsewhere, would be felt immediately by the Browns and the receiving team.
Myles Garrett Trade Request: What It Means and Where He Might End Up
The request to trade made by Myles Garrett has given the entire community of NFL a shock. A multi-Pro Bowl selection, he was a rock-solid player. His name has repeatedly been termed as one of the league’s elite pass-rushers, hence much in demand among teams for bolstering their defensive front line to eventually win the championship.
Consideration of Contract
Trading for Myles Garrett presents major financial challenges. Given prior contract restructures, the Browns will incur more than $36 million in dead money cap hit if they make the trade in 2025. Unlike releases, trades cannot be designated post-June 1, so the cap hit has to be paid within the 2025 season all at once. To mitigate this impact, the Browns might consider reworking or extending Garrett’s contract before finalizing any trade.
Payments from Garrett’s contract to the acquiring team will be just under $20 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026. However, it is expected that any team able to sign him would work to negotiate a contract extension to allow for long-term collaboration and cap flexibility.
Teams To Consider
There are a number of teams that would seem like a fit for Myles Garrett, each with different benefits:
Detroit Lions
Lions have only recently completed their 15-2 season. They are starting to operate under win-now modality, bringing them the ability to absorb his deal under cap space. Marshaling Garrett on their existing set of defensive weapons could push this team past a championship plateau. With trades in the two previous seasons cutting into draft picks, they retain both first- and second-rounders for the next two years and can use that to help assemble a persuasive trade package. The Lions ended last season tied for 23rd in sacks allowed with 37, so pass rush is obviously an area the team needs some help with.
Philadelphia Eagles
Perennial contenders, Eagles may look at adding Garrett to strengthen their defense. Though the cap space is tighter, Howie Roseman’s aggressive nature to improve the roster may make it easier to find the money.
In addition to that, Josh Sweat will leave as a free agent. It further draws depth to adding an edge rusher.
Atlanta Falcons
With a young quarterback on a rookie contract, the Falcons have money to spend elsewhere in their roster. Traditionally not possessing skill edge rushers, Atlanta ranked 31st in sacks (31) and 30th in pressure rate at 26.9 percent last season. Garrett would rectify that deficiency and speed up Atlanta’s competitive timeline.
Washington Commanders
Having gone from a surprise run to the NFC Championship Game in quarterback Jayden Daniels’ rookie season, the Commanders are poised to seize the window of opportunity they find themselves in. A player like Garrett can make their defense one of the stronger contenders.
Strategic considerations for the Browns:
The Browns have come out to explain that they never had any intentions to trade him by saying that he had requested his trade. However, if ever traded, they would likely want to see him go to an NFC team so that they would not have to play against the quarterback in huge games. This is because that automatically has a bearing on the compensation packages they may negotiate to trade in such a deal.
Conclusion
It represents both a salient phase of Myles Garrett footballing career and one of Cleveland Browns history, too, as quality of talent can’t be ignored-the numerous teams and franchises would fall in line at his feet-because elements of his complex contract and strategic considerations related to the Browns would certainly decide where next he goes on to play ball. That is all just space-dependent development.