Super Bowl LIX week has gotten underway with a significant development in the NFL as star edge rusher Myles Garrett released a statement on Monday afternoon revealing that he has requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.
In the statement, Garrett cited his desire to win and compete on the biggest stages as well as winning a Super Bowl as the reasoning behind his trade request.
The 29-year-old was drafted by the Browns with the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and has since developed into one of the best defensive players in the NFL.
Garrett has recorded double-digit sacks in all-but one of his seven seasons in the NFL, and won the prestigious Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023 to go along with his six Pro Bowl selections and four 1st-Team All-Pro honours.
Cleveland have reiterated that they are not entertaining offers for their star player, although the trade request has certainly put teams across the league on high alert.
With that being said, here are five potential trade destinations for Garrett:
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions were one of the hottest teams in the league this season as they went 15-2 and secured the number one seed in the NFC, but were ultimately let down by their mounting injuries on defense at the worst time.
Their season came to a premature end in the Divisional round of the playoffs with a surprise 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders, and reinforcements on defense will certainly be towards the top of Dan Campbell's list of priorities this offseason.
The potential opportunity to acquire Garrett should be of huge interest to the Lions, with the prospect of pairing their own star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson with Garrett being a prospect that will have Lions fans licking their lips. The question is, how feasible would a potential trade be?
Although it would not be easy, the Lions have plenty of draft capital at their disposal and have a plethora of players they could offer the Browns in a trade should they wish to make it happen.
Washington Commanders
Coming off the back of a historic season for the franchise, the Washington Commanders have put themselves back on the NFL map having gone from a four-win season in 2023/24 to an NFC Championship game appearance this season.
Whilst it was a fairytale season for the team in the nation's capital, there is little time to dwell and plenty of business to be done this offseason for general manager Adam Peters.
They need to maximise their window of opportunity whilst Jayden Daniels is still on his rookie contract, and what better way to do so in acquiring one of the best defensive players in football in Garrett to bolster their front four?
The Commanders certainly have a need at edge rusher and are currently projected to have over $80 million in cap space (3rd in NFL) this offseason, which would come in handy with Garrett soon to be in need of a new contract.
Los Angeles Chargers
Having appointed Jim Harbaugh as their head coach last offseason, the Los Angeles Chargers took huge strides as they went from five wins last season to 11 wins and a playoff berth this season.
Although, the Chargers could find themselves with a big need for an edge rusher this offseason with Khalil Mack set to hit free agency and Joey Bosa a likely candidate to be cut in order for the organisation to create cap space.
Every team could do with a good pass rush, but finding themselves in the AFC West with a Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid duo in Kansas City as well as a Bo Nix and Sean Payton duo in Denver, the ability to pressure the quarterback is a necessity for the Chargers.
Therefore, a trade for Garrett in many ways would make plenty of sense as the Chargers look to continue their resurgence under the leadership of Harbaugh.
Atlanta Falcons
Many believed that the Atlanta Falcons would address their defensive issues with their first round pick in last year's Draft, but the organisation instead decided to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick having just signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year $180 million contract.
Fast forward one season, it looks to have been the right move with Cousins flattering to deceive whilst Penix got some meaning reps towards the end of the season and looked very promising.
Having said that, their lack of ability to rush the passer ultimately prevented Atlanta from making the playoffs, with the Falcons ranking 31st in the NFL in sacks recorded this season with just 31.
Therefore, bolstering their defense has definitely become a top priority for the organisation this offseason, and with Cousins falling out of favour with the organisation, could they use him as a potential bargaining chip with a Browns team who themselves are in desperate need of a quarterback given the devastating achilles injury suffered by Deshaun Watson?
New England Patriots
Another team with a big need for an edge rusher as well as plenty of available cap space - $120 million (1st in NFL) to be exact - is the New England Patriots.
The Patriots finished with a 4-13 record this season and are in the early stages of their rebuild having drafted who they believe to be their future franchise quarterback in Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, a potential trade for Garrett would signify a significant acceleration in that rebuild should New England view the edge rusher as a player they wish to build around and make a push towards playing meaningful football sooner rather than later, similar to what the Washington Commanders were able to do this season and what the Houston Texans did last season.
There is also already some familiarity with Garrett within the organisation, with their new head coach Mike Vrabel having spent last season with the Browns organisation as a coaching and personnel consultant.
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