Myles Garrett traded to the LA Rams for Jared Verse, draft picks: report
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 21: Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns runs on to the field for the game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field on December 21, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns are reportedly finalizing a blockbuster trade that will send Myles Garrett to LA.
What we know:
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that in exchange for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, the Browns will receive Jared Verse and draft picks.
Verse was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.
The trade has not been officially confirmed by either team.
Dig deeper:
The move proves the Rams, who came up just shy of advancing to the Super Bowl in the 2025-26 season, continue to go all-in.
Just last month, Stafford agreed to a one-year contract extension worth an estimated $55 million. The deal was made just weeks after the Rams drafted QB Ty Simpson as the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Garrett has not been seen at the team facility during offseason workouts even though he made a couple of visits to Cleveland during the Cavaliers’ NBA playoff run. Garrett has a minority stake in the Cavaliers.
Coach Todd Monken said two weeks ago he had not had a face-to-face meeting with Garrett since being hired in late January. Defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg said last week he had some conversations over the phone with Garrett about the direction of the defense.
Garrett demanded a trade at the end of the 2024 season, but signed a four-year contract extension last March with a total value of $204.8 million that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The contract also included a no-trade clause, which meant that Garrett had the final say in his future destination.
However, Garrett’s frustration with the team’s direction remained high even after the extension.
Before Snead shocked the NFL by picking quarterback Ty Simpson this spring, the Rams had made only one first-round selection over the previous nine years. That pick was Verse, who quickly became a star during his two seasons as the anchor of the Rams’ rebuilt pass rush in the wake of Aaron Donald’s retirement.
Verse had 4 ½ sacks while being selected as the NFL’s top defensive rookie in 2024, and he had 7 ½ sacks last season along with three forced fumbles. Byron Young led the Rams with 12 sacks and interior lineman Kobie Turner contributed seven sacks, and both young stars are heading into the final year of their rookie contracts.
The current Rams are among the preseason Super Bowl favorites after winning 12 games and reaching the NFC championship game last season. Stafford, the reigning league MVP, is returning at the head of the NFL’s most potent offense last season along with a retooled defense featuring McDuffie and fellow ex-Kansas City star Jaylen Watson as its new cornerbacks — and now they’ve added the most feared pass rusher in the league.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was written with information from ESPN's Adam Schefter, as well as Joe Reedy and Greg Beacham with the Associated Press.