NFL trade requests come in all shapes and sizes, and this offseason featured plenty of them. Most end at least somewhat amicably where the two sides agree to a new deal or some sort of arrangement in which the player remains with the team.
This offseason, however, was bookended by two superstar defenders requesting trades and getting very different outcomes. Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Browns in early February and, by the end of the month, reports emerged that he was unwilling to sign a contract extension with the franchise. In early March, reports emerged that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam wouldn’t meet with Garrett, who was considering sitting out games.
As it turns out, money talks. Two days after that report, Garrett signed a four-year, $160 million extension with Cleveland. At $40 million per year, it made Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, a number that has since been surpassed by Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt and Ja’Marr Chase.
Speaking of Parsons, his trade request from the Cowboys stunningly got granted after a lengthy battle between him and Jerry Jones. Parsons’ trade request came Aug. 1, and he got his wish Aug. 28 when the Packers landed him with a four-year, $188 million extension upon arrival. He has already made a massive impact.
Parsons and Garrett meet Sunday when the 2-0 Packers visit the 0-2 Browns at 1 p.m. ET. Garrett’s frustration with Cleveland is once again rising. Could he request another trade … and actually get it this time?
Garrett’s frustration with Browns
“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever,” Garrett said in a Feb. 3 statement when he requested his trade from the Browns. “My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.
“While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.
“With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
That second-to-last sentence seemed especially pertinent. — and a bit of a shot. Garrett’s trade request came roughly a week after general manager Andrew Berry said that he had no intentions of trading Garrett and “we envision him going from Cleveland to Canton when his career is over.”
Canton, of course, is where the Pro Football Hall of Fame resides. Garrett is undoubtedly on that path. He’s a six-time All-Pro (four-time first-team selection) and six-time Pro Bowler. He won the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, between finishing in the award’s top five in 2022 and 2024. He’s tied for the NFL lead with 3.5 sacks this season and, at 29 years old, has shown no signs of slowing down.
As has been the case throughout much of his career, though, the Browns are struggling. After losing to the Bengals 17-16 in Week 1 — kicker Andre Szmyt missed an extra point and a short field goal — Cleveland got blown out by Baltimore 47-10, and Garrett couldn’t hide his frustration.
“I mean, this s*** is embarrassing,” Garrett said after the Browns allowed 31 second-half points. “We got to be better on defense. We got to be better as a team. They slowly chipped away and we did a solid job, holding them to three when we could, and then eventually the dam broke and they just did whatever they wanted, and we have to continue to play a 60-minute game.”
Could the Browns actually trade Myles Garrett?
The short answer is technically “yes.” There is no rule that’s stopping them. But let’s make this clear: The Browns won’t trade Myles Garrett this season.
There are several issues at play here. First, there’s the financial aspect. Trading Garrett would trigger a dead cap hit of nearly $68 million for the 2026 season. For reference, the largest single-season dead money hit in NFL history is Russell Wilson’s $53 million, stemming from the Broncos cutting ties with him in 2024.
Then there’s the return.
“That’s probably more of an offseason consideration when Cleveland could maximize draft choice compensation,” said Joel Corry, a former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst, via text. “I’m assuming Myles Garrett would be more likely to waive his no trade clause for an expected playoff contender.
“He is making $31.5M in 2026. The trade would have to be within the 1st 15 days of the 2026 league year because that’s when a $29.2M payment is due to exercise a dummy/voiding 2031 contract year.”
That is the biggest difference between the Parsons trade and any potential Garrett move. Garrett has already been paid. Parsons hadn’t been.
Previewing Garrett vs. Parsons 2.0
Garrett and Parsons have played against each other once before: last year in Week 2, when Parsons’ Cowboys beat Garrett’s Browns 33-17. Both players had a sack, and Parsons recorded five quarterback hits.
Of course, the more intriguing matchup in all likelihood (considering the Packers are a consensus 7.5-point favorite, according to SportsLine) is a season-long one: for Defensive Player of the Year. At FanDuel, Parsons is the favorite to capture his first DPOY at +440. Garrett is right behind him at +550.
When Parsons won DPOY in 2023, Parsons was second. In 2022, Parsons was runner-up to Nick Bosa while Garrett finished fifth. In 2021, Parsons finished second to Watt. A big performance by either player Sunday — with the other looking on — would provide an early boost for their chances for the award.
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