In 2025, Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record. Not many (if any) of his 23.0 sacks happened when the 5-12 Browns had a multi-score lead in the second half of a game.
With the Rams, Garrett should have plenty of chances to chase quarterbacks who are desperate to move the ball through the air late in a losing effort.
“That did play into the decision as well,” Garrett told reporters on Tuesday. “Knowing I’ll have the ability late in games to pin my ears back, not just because we need a play to be made, but because we have the lead and it’s obvious passing downs. Being able to make plays to win the game for us, those are things that appeal to me and I’m sure appeal to all of us as D-linemen. That is something I really look forward to.”
It should happen. The Rams have a great offense. The defense should be better in 2026. They should be in position, on a somewhat regular basis, to let Garrett turn himself loose in an effort to chase (and possibly pass) the record he set last year, in his final stint with the Browns.
When the Rams traded for Myles Garrett, they sent one of their top young players to Cleveland as part of the deal.
The 2024 AP defensive rookie of the year, Jared Verse had been making a name for himself in Los Angeles. But now that he’s no longer with the club, the Rams are offering fans a little bit of consolation.
The Rams announced on Wednesday that the club is offering a free exchange for recently purchased Verse jerseys.
The announcement notes that if you purchased a Verse jersey in person at the team’s draft party or official team store since the club launched its new uniforms in April, you’re eligible to exchange that jersey for another one of your choice.
Additionally, if you purchased any Verse jersey in the past 90 days from ramsfanshop.com, nflshop.com, or fanatics.com, that jersey may also be exchanged for free.
Visit the Rams website for additional details on the exchange process.
The Rams’ trade for pass rusher Myles Garrett included parting ways with pass rusher Jared Verse. It wasn’t easy for the Rams to do it.
“Sometimes we have to be able to make decisions that are best for the collective,” McVay told reporters on Tuesday. “This is what we thought was best for our team. Even though it affected somebody that’s been a significant part in a negative way that we do love. But really it was a football decision and that’s what guides our overall approach and our compass, if you will.”
McVay said he spoke with Verse before the trade happened.
“We talked to him about the appreciation, the gratitude,” McVay said. “I think when you have to have those hard conversations, you just let him know. ‘We just executed a trade where we’re acquiring Myles Garrett and you’re going to Cleveland. I know it doesn’t feel great right now, but there’s a lot of love. There’s a lot of appreciation and gratitude for our relationship, the two years and the impact that you’ve made. I can’t wait to watch you go shine in Cleveland.’
“But I will say this, what a stud with the way that he handled it. I don’t want to say that I was surprised, but I was so impressed. When [my sons] eventually go through a challenging conversation, I hope they handle it the way that Jared Verse did. I’m a big fan of his. I know you guys know that. I’ll wish him the best and watch him do his thing but we are really excited, with respect to Jared, about being able to get this guy. It’s a big deal for us.”
The transaction underscores the reality that teams will always do what’s best for them. Players, when they have the ability to do so, should always do the same.
Verse didn’t really have any options. He was drafted by the Rams, and no rookie contract includes a no-trade clause. If the team decides to make a deal, the player has to follow his contract, with the only option being retirement.
If Verse continues to be a Pro Bowl talent, he’ll eventually have the kind of power that Garrett now enjoys. For now, Verse (like the vast majority of players) is a piece in a machine that can be removed at any time, with or without notice — and regardless of whether he wanted that outcome.
When Myles Garrett made his case to be traded out of Cleveland in February 2025, the Browns responded by throwing money at the problem.
The end result was a new contract that made Garrett, at the time, the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL at $40 million per year in new-money average.
The market has since spiked by 25 percent, starting with Packers linebacker Micah Parsons and continuing most recently with Texans linebacker Will Anderson Jr., whose deal pushed the bar to $50 million per year.
Rams G.M. Les Snead touched briefly on the issue of Garrett’s deal during his introductory press conference on Tuesday.
“I will say this for [agent] Nicole [Lynn],” Snead said. “We wouldn’t have been able to get this done without us working pretty tirelessly since the weekend. We didn’t have a lot of time to discuss contract, but thank you, Nicole.”
They have the time to talk about it now. Will the Rams, who gave up three draft picks and Jared Verse to get Garrett, give him a sweetener? If they value him the way they clearly do, that value needs to reflect itself in his compensation package.
So, yes, that’s the next topic to address. Will the Rams give Garrett a new deal now? Will they kick the can for a year and pay him $30.5 million for 2026?
The market is the market. Last year, Garrett reset the market. The market has since been reset, multiple times. And while Garrett (whose career earnings through 2025 passed $150 million) has finally gotten his chance to play for a winner, there are plenty of reasons for Garrett to attempt to get full and fair value while he can.
That said, Garrett could have insisted on a new deal on his way through the door. He could have hinged waiving his no-trade clause on a contract that moved his new-money APY to $50.1 million, or more.
Now that the deal is done, it becomes a little trickier for Garrett to get the Rams to tear up the existing deal. Garrett is happy to be with a contender. Taking a stand for an adjustment could disrupt that vibe, and sacrifice some of his fresh SoCal goodwill.
Still, Garrett’s contract can’t be ignored. He’s 30. He’s signed for five more years. He likely has one more bite at the apple. The sooner he takes it, the more likely he’ll become once again the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.
The Browns added a little extra protection for themselves to complete the Myles Garrett trade to the Rams this week.
While Cleveland received edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick from Los Angeles in exchange for Garrett, the league’s daily transaction wire noted that the final pick was conditional.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the condition on that 2029 third-round pick is that it will become a first-round pick in the event that the Rams trade Garrett to a team in the AFC North.
It doesn’t seem likely that the Rams would even want to trade Garrett at any point in the future.
But just in case they do, the Browns have at least made it unlikely that they’ll ever see Garrett twice a year on the opposing sideline.
