The Washington Commanders have emerged as the favorite to land Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett following his trade request.
Garrett has asked the Browns for a trade, citing his desire to win the Super Bowl. Cleveland has made the playoffs just twice during Garrett’s eight seasons and have just one playoff win.
“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever. My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fan base of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today,” Garrett said in a statement shared on social media.
“While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
The Commanders are among the few teams that check both boxes in the Myles Garrett sweepstakes: cap space and contention. Washington boasts the NFL’s third-largest cap space and holds seven draft picks, positioning them to make a serious play.
The Commanders are +350 to be Garrett’s next team, per DraftKings. The Eagles (+500) are next, followed by the Browns (+550).
The key factor for Washington is that quarterback Jayden Daniels has already emerged as a Pro Bowl talent. His rookie contract gives Washington flexibility with what they can do with the rest of the roster.
The Commanders finished last season 12-5. Washington made it to the NFC Championship before falling to the eventual Super Bowl winning Philadelphia Eagles.
Garrett has made his stance very clear: he’s willing to do whatever it takes for a trade. It remains to be seen what that could be but it could include an extended holdout or even reworking his contract to make it more tradeable.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” Garrett said during Super Bowl week. “I want to have a chance to win those big games, to go out there and compete, to elevate a team as a player, as a teammate, as a leader, and just come in and have an immediate effect.”
The Browns are coming off a dismal 3-14 season, a setback that fueled trade speculation around Garrett. However, the team does not feel far off from contention, although Garrett disagrees.
“It’s not a decision I take lightly,” Garrett said on the Rich Eisen Show. “It took time and lots of conversation, but just looking at the trajectory of the team, talking to some of the higher-ups … I have a lot of respect for them, but I just don’t think we’re aligned on where the team is going in the near future.”
The Browns have the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft. They could use it to try to find their quarterback of the future, or draft a player like Penn Stat pass-rusher Abdul Carter, who could be a potential replacement for Garrett.
