The Rams were already viewed as Super Bowl contenders before today’s trade for Myles Garrett. Now they’ve separated themselves from the pack and become the clear betting favorites.
With Garrett in the fold, the Rams are now +600 favorites to win Super Bowl LXI, which will be played at the Rams’ home field, SoFi Stadium. Prior to the trade, the Rams’ odds were +850.
The Rams have separated themselves from the other top teams, according to the betting odds. The Bills and Ravens are now tied for the second-best chance to win the Super Bowl, at +1000, followed by the Seahaks at +1100, Chiefs at +1500 and Eagles, Patriots and Chargers, all at +1600.
The Rams are also +300 favorites to win the NFC Championship Game, an improvement from their +425 odds before trading for Garrett. The Rams are well ahead in the NFC odds, followed by the Seahawks at +550, Eagles at +820, Packers at +870, Lions at +900 and 49ers at +950.
And the Rams have moved from +145 to +100 favorites to win the NFC West, ahead of the Seahawks at +180, 49ers at +280 and Cardinals at +9000.
Garrett is the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year, and there’s no question in bettors’ minds that he’s made the Rams even better.
The Rams are back in “eff them picks” mode.
According to ESPNFL Network, the Rams will send three picks to the Browns for defensive end Myles Garrett, along with defensive end Jared Verse.
The picks consist of a 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-rounder, and a 2029 third-rounder.
Given that Verse was a 2024 first-round pick who panned out, that’s a massive haul for arguably the best defensive player in the NFL.
The Rams are obviously trying to close the small gap between themselves and the Seahawks at the top of the entire league, while the Browns will continue to build for a future that always seems to remain in the future. Given the young nucleus of talented players the Browns have been compiling, they could finally be moving in the right direction.
And here’s the key — by the time they get there, Garrett may have been beyond his prime years. And Verse, a two-time Pro Bowler and the 2024 NFL defensive rookie of the year, could be smack dab in the middle of his own.
Is Myles Garrett really headed to the Rams?
At this point, everything indicates the answer to that question is a resounding yes.
But the trade is not complete quite yet.
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry spoke to assembled media at the organization’s charity golf event on Monday, just after reports of the deal surfaced on social media.
“Real quick, obviously we wanted today to be about the Browns foundation and everything that we’re doing, the good work we’re doing there. Not naive that there’s a lot in the social media sphere, media sphere regarding Myles. Nothing is final at this point,” Berry said, via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “We are in discussions of a potential transaction including him. I’ll have a lot more to say about it once it is final — if it does become final. And I’ll discuss the details at that point. But we are in negotiations. We’re hopeful that we close something here in the next several hours. But nothing is final right yet.
“Like I said, I’ll have an update for you guys maybe as soon as tomorrow when there’s resolution.”
Berry did not answer a couple of follow-up questions to his statement, noting that was all he had to say on the matter right now.
The fact that reports surfaced on social media is an indication that the deal is, as a practical matter, going to be executed. But it will not be completely official until compensation is agreed to and Garrett passes his physical.
There’s no reason to believe Garrett would not pass a physical at this point.
At present, reporting indicates the Browns will trade Garrett to the Rams in exchange for edge rusher a 2027 first-round pick, edge rusher Jared Verse, and additional draft compensation.
Yes, the arrival of June 1 could mean a trade of veterans other than A.J. Brown.
Per multiple reports, the Browns are trading defensive end Myles Garrett to the Rams. Cleveland will receive defensive end Jared Verse, a first-round pick, and more.
The deal will happen after 4:00 p.m. ET on Monday, allowing the Browns to divide the cap charge over two league years.
Yes, the Browns had said they won’t be trading Garrett. But words are merely words. The most significant action taken this offseason was the agreement to delay a $29.2 million option bonus from March until September.
Earlier in the day, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer planted a flag regarding a potential trade: "[I]t now seems as though there might be some fire where the smoke is coming from in regards to the possibility of Garrett being moved.” She cited the Rams, Cowboys, and Eagles are teams “rumored to have interest” in Garrett, “but nothing has been substantiated.”
It now has been.
The transaction would likely include a new deal for Garrett. When he signed his latest contract in 2025, he set a new bar with a new-money average of $40 million annually. That has since shot to $50 million, thanks to the Will Anderson Jr. deal in Houston.
Either way, the 2025 defensive player of the year will get what he has always wanted — a chance to compete for a Super Bowl run.
With the calendar flipped to June, there is more smoke around the possibility that the Browns could trade NFL sack king Myles Garrett.
Head coach Todd Monken noted recently that he had not yet spoken with Garrett since being hired in January. Garrett customarily does not attend Cleveland’s offseason program, but after he and the team agreed to modified language in his contract that makes it easier for the club to trade him, there’s reason to speculate that more could be going on here.
Monken was asked about Garrett and whether or not he’s been guaranteed the defensive end would be on the roster in 2026.
“No, I wasn’t assured that when I took the job,” Monken said, via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “I was never assured of anything when I took the job, other than once I signed my contract, whatever my contract said — that’s what I was assured. No matter what, any of us coaches sign up for is we show up every day and we coach the guys in the building like we’ve done since we’ve been here. That hasn’t changed.
“He’s not [unlike] any other player. I’m never told who’s going to be on the team, who’s not going to be on the team,” Monken added. “If that’s a question, I mean, every day we evaluate the roster — Andrew [Berry] evaluates the roster, management evaluates the roster. And, like I said, he’s no different than any other player we’ve got. So, I don’t know how to respond to that, because it’s really no different today than it’s been for the last however many months I’ve been the head coach.”
Garrett, 30, requested a trade during the 2025 offseason before electing to re-sign with the Browns on a lucrative new deal. He then proceeded to set the single-season sack record at 23.0, winning his second AP defensive player of the year award in the last three seasons.
Not only did Garrett lead the league in sacks, but he was also No. 1 with 33 tackles for loss.
We’ll see if the speculation turns into a reality with a Garrett trade over the coming days.
