Myles Garrett trade fits: Which teams make sense for star? - ESPN

The moment Browns fans have been dreading finally arrived last week. After a disastrous 2024 season, star edge rusher and franchise icon Myles Garrett took to social media to announce he was requesting a trade.

The 2017 No. 1 pick has been a cornerstone ever since arriving in Cleveland, racking up 102.5 sacks and 200 knockdowns over eight seasons. He ranks second in both categories since the start of the 2017 season, behind T.J. Watt.

Garrett's statement reflects the reality the Browns are facing after their disastrous decision to trade for Deshaun Watson in 2022, a move that cost them multiple first-round picks and locked them into a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal, $92 million of which remains on the books. The Browns were one of the worst offenses in recent NFL history when Watson was on the field last season, and while they improved after he tore his right Achilles in November, they will feel the impact of the missing draft picks and his massive contract for years to come.

Plenty of players issue trade requests as part of their efforts to land a new contract, and Garrett will certainly feel like it's time for a new deal. There are two years left on his five-year, $125 million extension, which was a market-resetting deal when he signed it in 2020. Since then, five edge rushers have topped that mark, including San Francisco's Nick Bosa, who is making $34 million per season on his new contract. Dallas' Micah Parsons is expected to top that figure when he signs his extension this offseason.

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Garrett is due just over $40 million over the next two years, all of which is nonguaranteed. As he approaches his age-30 season, he understandably wants a raise to the top of the