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A Tuesday story poured cold water over the idea that the Cleveland Browns couldn't afford to move on from star pass-rusher Myles Garrett before the Nov. 4 trade deadline after the Browns signed Garrett to a four-year, $160M contract extension that included this past offseason. On Wednesday morning, NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN offered more information on why the Browns trading Garrett this week "isn't inconceivable" despite what some have said. How Myles Garrett's contract could be tradeable this fall "The extension added $7M to his 2025 compensation and $6M to his 2026 compensation," Graziano wrote. "It also guaranteed him about $30.5M for 2027. The signing bonus on the new deal was around $21M, which isn't super-onerous for a contract of that size. If the Browns traded him right now, his 2025 cap number would stay about the same, and they'd incur about $41M in dead money for 2026 -- roughly $17.5M more than his current 2026 cap charge." Graziano noted that the amount of dead money associated with the Browns trading Garrett wouldn't equal what the Denver Broncos ate to get rid of quarterback Russell Wilson in March 2024. Denver followed that move by drafting Bo Nix, who guided the Broncos to the playoffs as a rookie. While Garrett's extension carries a full no-trade clause, he's made it known multiple times this fall that he is frustrated with the state of a 2-6 Browns team that likely won't have a potential franchise quarterback on its roster before 2026 at the earliest. Garrett turns 30 years old in December and wants to help a contender pursue a Super Bowl championship while in his prime. What teams could realistically acquire Myles Garrett from the Browns before trade deadline? NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated speculated that the Browns "could get two first-round picks, a 2026 second-round pick and a '27 third-round pick" in return for Garrett's services. Graziano suggested that the Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeles Rams could match such an asking price. The Rams picked up additional draft assets this past April. Meanwhile, the Cowboys landed two first-round draft picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from the Green Bay Packers for pass-rusher Micah Parsons in late August. "The acquiring team would have to pay Garrett a fairly reasonable $31.5M in fully guaranteed money in 2026 and about $30.5M in 2027," Graziano added. In short, it sounds like Garrett could be available for a "Godfather" type of offer. It's unclear if the Cowboys, Rams or any other team would be willing to go all-in regarding such a trade during the season.
