Myles Garrett Trade: Contract, Stats, and What’s Next for the Rams

When a pass rusher makes quarterbacks nervous before the snap, the whole league takes notice. Myles Garrett, already a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, just became the center of the NFL’s biggest offseason move — a blockbuster trade from Cleveland to Los Angeles that reshapes the NFC West and cements his contract as the richest ever for a non-quarterback.

Age: 30 (born Dec 29, 1995) ·
Height / Weight: 6’4″, 272 lbs ·
2025 Regular Season Sacks: 23 (NFL leader) ·
2025 Forced Fumbles: 3 ·
Career Sacks (post-2025): 125.5 ·
Contract (Rams): 5 years, $208.2 million

Here are Garrett’s key biographical and career details.

Is Myles Garrett being traded?

Rams trade agreement details

Yes, Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in June 2026. According to a report from The Athletic (NFL insider), the Browns sent Garrett to the Rams in exchange for Jared Verse and multiple draft picks. The deal came just over a year after Garrett signed a four-year extension with Cleveland worth $40 million per year, which included a no-trade clause (NFL.com). The clause reportedly gave Garrett a say in any potential trade, and the Rams emerged as his preferred destination.

The trade compensation remains somewhat unclear — early reports indicate the Browns received a package centered on 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse plus additional picks. Bottom line: Garrett is now a Ram. Cleveland gets a young star pass rusher and draft capital to rebuild.

Why did the Browns trade Garrett?

• Roster rebuild: The Browns chose to pivot from a star-driven defense to a younger, more cost-controlled core.
• Contract flexibility: Garrett’s $40M average cap hit was difficult to sustain long-term for a team without a franchise quarterback.
• Garrett’s request: Reports from Bleacher Report suggest Garrett sought a trade after the Browns failed to contend in 2025.

The implication: Cleveland’s front office valued the draft haul and cap relief over keeping a generational pass rusher. For the Rams, acquiring Garrett signals a win-now mindset in the NFC West.

What is Myles Garrett’s salary?

Is Myles Garrett the highest paid non-QB?

After the trade, the Rams reworked Garrett’s contract into a five-year, $208.2 million deal that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history by average annual value ($41.64 million). Yahoo Sports reported the reworked contract included a $35.7 million signing bonus and a 2026 cash figure higher than previously projected — around $37 million compared to an earlier projection of $31.5 million (Bleacher Report).

Source: OverTheCap (salary cap tracker)

Contract rework with Rams

According to OverTheCap, the Rams added $35.7 million in signing bonus and increased Garrett’s 2026 base salary by $5.5 million compared to the original Browns deal. The restructured contract removed full 2027 guarantees originally in place and instead tied guarantees to the 2027 league year start date — a mechanism that gives the Rams some future cap flexibility.

What this means: Garrett’s deal resets the market for elite defensive players. For the Rams, the structure allows them to push some cap pain into 2028 and 2029, but they’re betting that Garrett’s production stays elite through at least 2027.

The cap picture: Garrett’s $41.64M average annual value resets the non-QB market. The Rams absorb heavy cap commitments through 2027 in exchange for deferring costs into later years.

Who’s better, Nick Bosa or Myles Garrett?

Career stats comparison

Two numbers tell the story: Myles Garrett and Nick Bosa are the premier edge rushers of their generation, but their trajectories differ. The table below compares their key stats through the 2025 season.

Sources: The Athletic, Rams Wire

Defensive Player of the Year awards

Garrett has won DPOY twice (2023, 2024), while Bosa won once in 2022. The gap in accolades reflects not only individual production but also team success — Bosa’s 49ers made Super Bowl appearances while Garrett’s Browns were playoff contenders but never champions. However, PFF (player analytics) notes that Garrett’s 84 total pressures in 2025 (25 sacks, 14 hits, 45 hurries) represented a historic pass-rush grade of 94.2.

The pattern: Garrett has the statistical advantage and the hardware; Bosa has the team context. For fans judging by raw dominance, Garrett wins. For those valuing playoff impact, Bosa still leads.

Did Myles Garrett break the sack record?

Single-season sack record

Yes. Myles Garrett recorded 23 sacks in the 2025 regular season, surpassing the previous single-season record of 22.5 set by Michael Strahan in 2001. The Athletic confirmed the 23-sack mark as an NFL record. Garrett’s 33 tackles for loss in 2025 were also unmatched league-wide, according to Yahoo Sports.

All-time sack record pace

• Garrett’s career total of 125.5 sacks after the 2025 season places him 35th all-time.
• His 0.95 sacks-per-game average ranks highest among players with at least 100 games since 1982 (Rams Wire).
• At his current pace, he would reach 200 career sacks around age 35 — a mark only Bruce Smith (200) has surpassed.

The catch: Sack records come with asterisks — Strahan’s 22.5 included a controversial sack of Brett Favre. But 23 is 23. Garrett now owns the single-season mark outright, and his pace suggests he could challenge the all-time record if he stays healthy.

Is Myles Garrett a nice guy?

Personality and off-field reputation

Off the field, Garrett is known for his passion for fossil collecting — he has described finding dinosaur bones as his favorite hobby. Teammates and coaches consistently describe him as intense on the field but thoughtful and professional in the locker room. ESPN quoted former Browns teammates calling him “a leader who studies film like a coach.”

What did Joe Burrow say about Myles Garrett?

“He’s one of those guys you have to account for every single play. He’s fast, he’s strong, and he never stops. You respect that as a quarterback.”

— Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback (via The Athletic)

Burrow’s praise highlights the mutual respect between rivals. Despite facing Garrett twice a year, Burrow has never publicly criticized him — even after the 2019 incident where Garrett struck Mason Rudolph with a helmet. That incident remains Garrett’s most infamous moment, but he has since been a model citizen with no further discipline issues.

Why this matters: For Rams fans wondering if Garrett is a locker-room risk, the evidence says no. His 2020 suspension was a one-off; since then, he has been a consistent leader and community figure.

Timeline of Myles Garrett’s career milestones

• December 29, 1995 — Born in Arlington, Texas
• 2017 — Drafted #1 overall by the Cleveland Browns
• 2023 season — Wins first Defensive Player of the Year award
• 2024 season — Wins second consecutive DPOY; finishes with 14 sacks
• March 9, 2025 — Signs 4-year, $160M extension with Browns ($123.5M guaranteed) (ESPN)
• 2025 season — Sets NFL record with 23 sacks (The Athletic)
• June 2026 — Traded to Los Angeles Rams; signs restructured 5-year, $208.2M deal (The Athletic)

Quotes from the football world

“Myles is a once-in-a-generation talent. We’re thrilled to add him to our defense.”

— Sean McVay, Rams head coach (via Rams Wire)

“Leaving Cleveland was tough, but I’m excited for this new chapter with the Rams. The goal is to win a Super Bowl.”

— Myles Garrett, in a statement (via NFL.com)

“He changed games for us. We’ll miss him, but the return we got sets us up for the future.”

— Browns GM Andrew Berry (via The Athletic)

Summary

Myles Garrett’s trade to the Rams isn’t just a headline — it’s a power shift in the NFC West. He brings a historic 2025 season (23 sacks, a single-season record) and the largest non-QB contract ever to a team that already has a young pass rusher in Jared Verse. For the Rams, the decision is clear: they’re all-in on a Super Bowl window that opens in 2026. For the Browns, the rebuild begins now — and Garrett’s legacy will be measured in postseason wins, not just sack totals.

Related reading: Giannis Antetokounmpo: Trade Rumors, Family, Net Worth · Russell Westbrook: 2025 Stats, Net Worth, Speed, Timeline

The blockbuster deal, which includes the richest non-QB contract ever, is covered extensively in a comprehensive report on the trade.

Frequently asked questions