The Cleveland Browns are finalizing a blockbuster trade that will send two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for pass rusher Jared Verse and a package of future draft picks. The deal, reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is expected to become official after 4 p.m. ET on Monday, when the Browns can ease the salary cap impact of the move. The Browns will receive Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-rounder.

Garrett, 30, has been one of the league’s most dominant defenders since being selected first overall by the Browns in the 2017 NFL Draft. He set the NFL single-season sack record with 23 in 2025, surpassing the previous record held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, and has tallied 125.5 sacks over his nine-year career—good for 20th all time since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Garrett is also a five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. He signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension in March 2025, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at the time.

The Rams will acquire Garrett as they continue their strategy of trading draft assets for elite talent to contend for another Super Bowl, a method that brought them success in recent years under head coach Sean McVay. The Browns, meanwhile, add 25-year-old Jared Verse, a 2024 first-round pick and the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year that season. Verse recorded 4.5 sacks as a rookie and improved to 7.5 sacks in 2025, establishing himself as a rising star on defense.

Rumors of a potential deal had been circulating in recent days, fueled by the timing of Garrett’s contract restructuring in the offseason and his absence from the Browns’ voluntary workouts. Browns general manager Andrew Berry and new head coach Todd Monken both addressed questions about Garrett’s future on Monday (June 1), with Berry saying, "Nothing is final at this point. We are in discussions of a potential transaction including [Myles Garrett]. We are in negotiations. We're hopeful that we close something here in the next several hours."

The deal marks one of the most significant trades involving a defensive player in NFL history. The Browns are expected to provide an official update once the deal is finalized, possibly as soon as Tuesday. Garrett, who has played all 134 games of his NFL career with Cleveland, will now join a Rams team seeking another championship run, while the Browns look to build for the future around Verse and their new draft assets.

Mark Madden

Mark Madden