Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco has been sacked by Myles Garrett and has been a teammate of Garrett in Cleveland, and Flacco knows it’s much better to be playing with Garrett than against him.
The news that Garrett is no longer a division rival after he was traded from the Browns to the Rams on Monday was met with approval by Flacco.
“Good for us,” Flacco said, via Bengals.com.
The Bengals’ two starting offensive tackles, Amarius Mims and Orlando Brown Jr., both saw the trade as good for the Rams and good for Garrett.
“I’m pretty sure anybody practicing today at the time we were practicing, no matter what it was, I assure you every team got a hold of that news,” Mims said. “It’s huge when you get a guy like Myles Garrett, a future Hall of Famer. It’s going to be a buzz. Congrats to those guys.”
Brown said it’s a good deal for Garrett to go to a contender, but that the Bengals can’t be concerned about what other teams are doing.
“It doesn’t matter. You still have to go win on Sundays. Congrats to Myles. That’s how I feel. We still have to go win,” Brown said.
With Garrett gone, the Bengals’ task of winning twice against the Browns this year gets a little easier.
The Browns drafted Myles Garrett with the first overall pick in 2017. He was a five time All-Pro, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and delivered an NFL sacks record.
He could not bring them a championship.
Garrett is leaving Cleveland with a little regret and a lot of appreciation.
He posted his goodbye on social media Monday after the trade that sent him to the Rams was announced.
“Nine years.
“It’s hard to put into words what that really means when so much of your life has been shaped in one place, around one team, and with one community behind you.
“From my very first play, you embraced me, and I wanted to help bring winning back to a city whose loyalty, resilience, and belief never wavered. What I didn’t fully understand then was how much this city would shape me.
“Cleveland made me tougher. You challenged me. You taught me about perseverance, about showing up even when things aren’t easy, and what loyalty really looks like. Through the highs, lows, setbacks, injuries, expectations, inclement weather, and difficult seasons, you all kept showing up. I never took that for granted.
“To the Dawg Pound: Thank you for embracing my family and [me] from Day 1. Thank you for every packed stadium, every moment of belief, every kid wearing my jersey, every message, every criticism, every expectation. I respected that then and I respect it now. I wish I could have done more for you.
“To the Haslam family, my teammates, coaches, training staff, front office, and everyone inside the building in Berea: Thank you. Football is the ultimate team sport, and I’ll always be grateful for the brothers I went to battle with and the people behind the scenes who pour themselves into this organization every single day.
“To Northeast Ohio: Thank you for allowing me to be part of this community beyond football. Through school visits, foundation work, events, and simply living life here, I saw firsthand the heart of this place. No matter where life or football takes me, this will always be a place I’m proud to call home.
“What I can say with complete honesty is this: I gave this city everything I had. I suited up and wore those colors with pride, and I don’t regret a second of being part of this storied franchise. Every Sunday. Every offseason. Every play. Every down. Every moment. You gave me more in return than I can ever repay.
“The best days for this franchise are ahead. Thank you for letting me grow here. Thank you for believing in me.
“Loving you is easy. Leaving you is the hard part.
“Thank you for nine unforgettable years.”
In exchange for Garrett, Cleveland will receive edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick.
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry called Myles Garrett “a career Brown” in March. The Browns, according to ESPN, even told the Rams that when the Rams inquired about acquiring the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Never say never.
The Rams “hounded” the Browns until the Browns agreed, getting a 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-rounder, a 2029 third-rounder and defensive end Jared Verse in return.
The Rams, though, initially offered a package of picks, not wanting to part with Verse, according to ESPN. As talks heated up after the draft, the Browns insisted that a deal would not happen without the Rams including Verse as part of it.
Verse, the Rams’ 2024 first-round pick, has made 12 sacks and 22 tackles for loss in his two seasons.
The Rams finally relented as long as the draft picks were “adjusted appropriately,” per ESPN.
Now, the Rams have Garrett and the Browns have Verse, plus three draft picks.
It’s official: Myles Garrett is headed to Los Angeles.
Just after 4 p.m. on Monday, the Browns and Rams both announced that Garrett has been traded to L.A.
In exchange for Garrett, Cleveland will receive edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick.
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry noted earlier on Monday that he would have more to say once the deal was complete. He issued a lengthy statement in Cleveland’s announcement of the deal.
“We have long taken the stance that our goal was for Myles Garrett to be a one-helmet player for his entire career,” Berry’s statement reads. “After rewriting the record books and representing our organization with excellence, we were sincere in that desire as we entered this offseason and did not envision a world where Myles was not a Cleveland Brown.
“When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position, but as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: Do we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?
“In that framework, the decision became clear, although our emotions were muddled. We, and more importantly, our fans, have grown up with Myles, and he’s an enormous source of pride for our team. However, as we embark on a new era of Browns football with a young core and a replenished asset base, we felt this move was important to our transition.
“Chief among the considerations to make the decision was the inclusion of Jared Verse — a player our fan base will love. At 25 years old with two Pro Bowls and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award under his belt, we receive a young, elite player at a premium position who will only continue to improve in his third NFL season. Jared’s passion and relentless style of play will be embraced by our fans. He will fit right in with the established identity of our defense. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome him to the Dawg Pound!
“We recognize the unexpected nature of this trade, but it opens up great opportunities for our franchise. We are excited to welcome Jared into the organization, along with the cap flexibility and draft pick resources to deploy to the rest of the roster that will allow us to add to our budding core on both sides of the ball.”
Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam also issued a statement on the deal to send Garrett to Los Angeles:
“Myles Garrett has been the best player on our team and one of the best defensive players in the history of the game, since we drafted him in 2017,” the Haslams’ statement reads. “His legacy is immense and we could never adequately articulate our appreciation for how he played the game and for being the best player he could be for the Cleveland Browns over the last nine years. He has left a deep imprint on our franchise, with our fans and with the Dawg Pound.
“Clearly, this was not an easy decision, particularly with Myles because we’ve watched him come into our organization and grow like a member of our family. Trading Myles was never our intent, but we also recognize that certain opportunities demand serious consideration, and we believe this is the right move for our team. Adding a young defensive star like Jared Verse, along with valuable draft assets, are necessary to strengthen a talented young core and align with the youth of our team. Our goal continues to be building a consistently winning franchise that our fans and this region deserve, and we believe this move creates the best path towards that.
“We met with Myles on Saturday and told him we are extremely grateful for all that he contributed to our team and to our community and that he will always be a Cleveland Brown. We look forward to welcoming him back at the appropriate time and wish him and his family only the best.”
Garrett departs the Browns as arguably the best defensive player in franchise history. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 draft, Garrett has a franchise record 125.5 sacks, setting the NFL’s single-season record with 23.0 in 2025.
A two-time AP defensive player of the year and five-time, AP first-team All-Pro, Garrett played 134 games for the Browns, registering 23 forced fumbles, 18 passes defensed, six fumble recoveries, 149 tackles for loss, and 239 QB hits.
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.
