The call came early Monday morning. By midday, the NFL had a new headline.
The Los Angeles Rams acquired Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade that sends Jared Verse and three draft picks to Cleveland. Garrett will be introduced at the Rams' Woodland Hills practice facility Tuesday.
The call came early Monday morning. By midday, the NFL had a new headline.
The Los Angeles Rams agreed to terms Monday to acquire Myles Garrett, the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, from the Cleveland Browns. The trade sends Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick to Cleveland.
Garrett will be introduced to local media Tuesday at the Rams' practice facility in Woodland Hills, according to the team.
Garrett, 30, set the NFL's single-season sack record last year with 23 sacks. He has recorded 10 or more sacks for eight consecutive seasons and carries 125.5 career sacks into his first season with Los Angeles, according to Patch and USA Today.
He signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension with Cleveland last offseason that included a no-trade clause. He agreed to waive that clause to make the move to Los Angeles, the Rams announced.
"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," Browns managing partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a joint statement. "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."
The price tag is steep by any measure.
Verse is entering the third year of his four-year rookie deal, worth approximately $15.1 million total, according to USA Today. The Browns can exercise a fifth-year option on his contract next offseason.
This is not the first time Rams General Manager Les Snead has traded future capital for present-day talent. Snead coined the phrase "F them picks" during the Rams' Super Bowl celebration in 2022.
He traded two first-round picks and a fourth for Jalen Ramsey in 2019. He traded two first-round picks, a third, and Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford in 2021. That move paid off immediately when the Rams won Super Bowl LVI in Stafford's first season.
This offseason, Snead also traded a 2026 first-round pick, a sixth, and a 2027 third-round pick to Kansas City for cornerback Trent McDuffie, who then signed a record-breaking four-year, $124 million extension.
"I don't want to sit here, and it's April and say, 'OK, we draft one player and now we go to the Super Bowl,'" Snead said after drafting quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in April. "There is a lot of hard work that happens between this night and whoever's playing in that game in February."
The Rams fell short in the 2025 season, losing to the Seattle Seahawks, 31-27, in the NFC Championship Game. In two games against Seattle that season, Los Angeles allowed 6.6 and 6.1 yards per play, according to Yahoo Sports.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula now has a pass rusher who was double-teamed on 59.06% of his pass-rushing snaps last season and still broke the sack record, according to Yahoo Sports.
Stafford, 38, won the NFL's Most Valuable Player award last season. This year's Super Bowl will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Garrett spent his entire nine-season career with the Browns. He was the No. 1 overall pick in 2017 and earned seven Pro Bowl selections and five First-Team All-Pro honors.
In a lengthy statement posted on X on June 1, Garrett thanked Cleveland fans for their loyalty.
"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," Garrett said. "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."
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry called the decision "clear" despite the emotional weight of trading a franchise icon.
"Chief among the considerations to make the decision was the inclusion of Jared Verse — a player our fan base will love," Berry said. "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."
Garrett will appear with Snead and head coach Sean McVay at the Rams' practice Tuesday in Woodland Hills. The NFL's offseason trade deadline has passed, meaning this is the last major move Rams fans will see before training camp begins.
McVay said the Rams' secondary is already showing the kind of connection he wants during Organized Team Activities, which began last Thursday in Woodland Hills, according to El-Balad.
The Rams now have a defense built around an elite pass rusher and a rebuilt secondary. Whether that combination is enough to win a Super Bowl in 2026 is the question Snead is betting his draft picks on.
This article was generated with AI assistance.