The Browns have agreed to trade DE Myles Garrett to the Rams in exchange for DE Jared Verse, a 2027 1st round pick, a 2028 2nd round pick and a 2029 3rd round pick.
Garrett cemented his name both in Browns and NFL history over his nine seasons in Cleveland. After being drafted as the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Browns, Garrett played in 134 career games and recorded 412 career tackles, 125.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.
He is the Browns franchise leader in career sacks with 125.5 and set the NFL single-season sack record during the 2025 season with 23 sacks. He became the first player in NFL history since 1982 to record at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons (2020-25) and is the only NFL player to record at least 10 sacks in each of the past eight seasons (2018-25).
Garrett has also been named an AP All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl seven times and is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year – a two-time winner after previously earning the award following the 2023 season.
"We have long taken the stance that our goal was for Myles Garrett to be a one-helmet player for his entire career," Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. "After rewriting the record books and representing our organization with excellence, we were sincere in that desire as we entered this offseason and did not envision a world where Myles was not a Cleveland Brown.
"When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position, but as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: do we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?
"In that framework, the decision became clear, although our emotions were muddled. We, and more importantly, our fans, have grown up with Myles, and he's an enormous source of pride for our team. However, as we embark on a new era of Browns football with a young core and a replenished asset base, we felt this move was important to our transition.
"Chief among the considerations to make the decision was the inclusion of Jared Verse – a player our fan base will love. At 25 years old with two Pro Bowls and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award under his belt, we receive a young, elite player at a premium position who will only continue to improve in his third NFL season. Jared's passion and relentless style of play will be embraced by our fans. He will fit right in with the established identity of our defense. We couldn't be more pleased to welcome him to the Dawg Pound!
"We recognize the unexpected nature of this trade, but it opens up great opportunities for our franchise. We are excited to welcome Jared into the organization, along with the cap flexibility and draft pick resources to deploy to the rest of the roster that will allow us to add to our budding core on both sides of the ball."
Verse was originally drafted by the Rams as the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and quickly established himself as having a dominant defensive presence. Verse was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons and was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.
He has appeared in 34 career games in his first two seasons, and has recorded 124 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has also blocked one field goal with a return for a touchdown. Verse has appeared in five career postseason games and recorded 13 tackles, six tackles for a loss, three sacks and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. In Week 17 in 2025, Verse became the fourth-fastest player to reach 150 career pressures (33 games) and the fastest in Rams history. Verse joined QB Drake Maye and TE Brock Bowers as the only rookies from 2024 to make the Pro Bowl in each of their first two seasons.
In Cleveland, Verse now joins a dominant attack-style defense under new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg and has the opportunity to step into a starting role on the defensive line in the place of Garrett.
"Myles Garrett has been the best player on our team and one of the best defensive players in the history of the game, since we drafted him in 2017," Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. "His legacy is immense and we could never adequately articulate our appreciation for how he played the game and for being the best player he could be for the Cleveland Browns over the last nine years. He has left a deep imprint on our franchise, with our fans and with the Dawg Pound.
"Clearly this was not an easy decision, particularly with Myles because we've watched him come into our organization and grow like a member of our family. Trading Myles was never our intent, but we also recognize that certain opportunities demand serious consideration, and we believe this is the right move for our team. Adding a young defensive star like Jared Verse, along with valuable draft assets, are necessary to strengthen a talented young core and align with the youth of our team. Our goal continues to be building a consistently winning franchise that our fans and this region deserve, and we believe this move creates the best path towards that.
"We met with Myles on Saturday and told him we are extremely grateful for all that he contributed to our team and to our community and that he will always be a Cleveland Brown. We look forward to welcoming him back at the appropriate time and wish him and his family only the best."
