“Myles Garrett’s Trade Request from the Browns Could Lead to a Messy Situation | Pat McAfee Show”

One of the participants down there, Myles Garrett, was talking to people about what their life is like with their teams. Although none of them are in the Super Bowl—because none of the Super Bowl contenders were able to be in the Pro Bowl—Myles said, “That sounds a lot better than what I’m going through.” He also said, “That’s a lot better than what I’m going through. You guys are trying to win up there, you think?” “Yeah, I think so.” “You’re trying to make it to the Super Bowl?” “Yeah.” “Yeah, I want to do that. Get me the hell out of here!”

He requested a trade this morning from the Cleveland Browns. This is another major moment in sports. Just a few days ago, at the Senior Bowl, Andrew Berry, the general manager of the Cleveland Browns, said, “I’m not listening to anybody trying to trade for Myles Garrett,” who has two years left on his contract with non-guaranteed money. He signed a five-year, $125 million deal, with $100 million guaranteed and the final two years non-guaranteed. So, is this a business

move potentially? Or is this a “Hey, I want a new contract” statement? Maybe. Or is this Myles Garrett being sick and tired of not being in the playoffs and playing meaningful football? We’ll certainly keep our ears to the ground and ask Adam Schefter about it in about 7 minutes.

Myles Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. How do you feel about that? Do you think this is a business move? Did you hear Schefter basically saying, “I don’t know if the Browns are going to let him go”?


Yeah, I mean, I’m sure it’s partly a business move, but he definitely wants out of there. I feel like the whole complacency thing, his message right here, tells you a lot. He feels like there’s no future here in Cleveland, and there’s no path to a Super Bowl anytime soon. But I don’t know, man. How do you keep him around? He’s not going to come into the facility if you say, “We’re good. We’re not trading him.” He doesn’t have to for a long time. You know, mandatory OTAs and mini-camp aren’t until what? June or May? So, there’s a lot of time between now and then. But I think if you listen to anybody talk about getting a trade done, there’s going to have to be a lot of things that get figured out. The amount of things that will need to be worked through… As Cole pointed out, when Hassan Reddick got traded to the Jets, they just thought it would be okay, but they didn’t get a deal done with him, and he never stepped foot in the building. Myles Garrett is going to need a deal done before he gets anywhere. The amount of compensation will be great.
You go back to the Khalil Mack deal when he was 27 years old, from the Raiders to the Bears. It’s like there’s a lot of work that has to get done for a deal to take place for Myles Garrett. But he’s certainly made a call for that. And him saying he wants to win, not just go to Canton… What is a contender to him? A contender, as she said, is basically how Schefter talked about it. Well, are they going to pay top dollar for Myles Garrett, or is he going to take a discount to go to some of these places? There are so many questions now that are out there. Inevitably, the Browns control all of it.


AJ, I want to know how much power Myles Garrett has. Does he have power in his contract to shut down a trade if he doesn’t want to go to a team?
He doesn’t have any power like that. No. That’s what Schefter brought up. The Browns basically have all the power here, but Myles would have to get a deal done anywhere he goes. So that’s the control he has—if somebody’s willing to offer up three first-round picks or two first-round picks, a second, and a fourth for Myles Garrett, but they can’t get a deal done, they’re not going to pull the trigger. You would hope, even though the Jets have been able to do it in the past. Unless they already talked to Myles and Myles says, “Yes, let’s get a deal done,” because Myles could do what Jimmy Butler just did. Jimmy Butler basically told the Warriors, “I’m not going to do a long-term agreement with you,” so they didn’t trade him. They pulled their offer, and traded him to the Miami Heat instead. So, Myles has all the say because of that. But inevitably, if the Browns don’t want to move on, it’s the Browns’ say, not Myles Garrett’s.


Yeah, it happened with Brandon Aiyuk over the offseason with the New England Patriots, where the Niners and the Patriots agreed to terms on a trade. Then, the Patriots and Brandon Aiyuk couldn’t come to terms on a contract, so the deal fell through, and Aiyuk still got paid in San Francisco. What’s going on? Because literally just a week ago, Andrew Berry was like, “We’re not trading Myles Garrett. He is not available.” Now, all of a sudden, Myles Garrett is saying, “Is that right? Yeah, I think I am available.”
Joining us now, Amanda, who released Myles Garrett’s statement. She probably knows a little bit more about the behind-the-scenes. Senior NFL Insider for ESPN, Michigan man, Adam Schefter. Schefty, you look awesome as the sun hits your face in that weird little spot. Thanks for joining us.


Massive morning here. We thought the trade between Luka and the Utah Jazz would be the biggest conversation— and it still is. But Myles Garrett, perennial All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year candidate every single year, now wanting to be traded with two non-guaranteed years left on his contract. Just one week removed from the GM saying they aren’t listening to any trade offers for him. How did we get here? And is he only going to contenders, or could he go to other teams with money and potentially a better vision than the Cleveland Browns?
We have to remember that the Browns are aware of Myles Garrett’s unhappiness. They’ve asked around, they’ve prepared for it, and they’ve gotten some opinions on how to best handle the situation. They’re dug in and entrenched in their stance that they’re not going to trade Myles Garrett. That’s not the kind of player you move on from. He’s arguably the best defensive player in the league at 29 years old, and that’s a player that helps you win a Super Bowl. That’s what the Browns want to try to do.
Again, we can continue to talk about this, and we will, because it’s certainly interesting. But we have one side here with the Cleveland Browns that doesn’t want to trade Myles Garrett and says they won’t. Andrew Berry, the GM, even told reporters that he wouldn’t care if offered two first-round picks—he’s not trading Myles Garrett. What changes the equation is that Myles Garrett is now going public with the statement that he wants out of Cleveland. He wants to play on a team where he believes he has a chance to win a Super Bowl, which he doesn’t feel is the case in Cleveland.
The Browns, if they trade him, will face acceleration on his contract to the tune of about $35 million. They’re already over the cap, so trading him becomes financially difficult. Not to say they can’t do it, but it’s hard. So, in my mind, the situation depends on how dug in Myles Garrett is. How miserable is he? Is he prepared to make life difficult for the Cleveland Browns? Is he willing to sit out no matter what when they go to training camp if they haven’t traded him by then? Will he continually issue statements saying how unhappy he is and how much he wants out? Does he make it such that they have to trade him, or will the Browns acquiesce to his wishes, even though they’ve been perfectly clear about not wanting to move him?
So, if you had to project right now, and I know we just learned about Myles Garrett taking this public, do you think he’ll have a new deal with some guaranteed money? Or do you think he’ll be traded? Do you think he’ll still be a Cleveland Brown?
Well, remember when Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the 49ers two years ago? He’s still there. Brandon Aiyuk requested a trade from the 49ers last year, and he’s still there. So, when you issue a trade request in the NFL, it’s not final that you’re being traded. There are still many steps to go through. The Browns have been very public in saying that they’re not moving on from Myles Garrett, which is why I come back to the point—how difficult is Myles Garrett willing to make life for them? If you’re the Browns, do you go to Myles now and say, “Myles, I know you want to be out, but we want to make you the highest-paid defensive player in football”? Would that make him feel any better?
No? Okay. “We want to make you the highest-paid defensive player, and we want your input on what we should do at quarterback.” How about now? Does that make you feel better? Usually, when a player hears that he’s the highest-paid something player in NFL history, that can change his mind. I’m not saying that’s what will happen, but sometimes that works.
So, let’s say the trade does happen. What would the compensation be for Myles Garrett, and can you recall a pass rusher of this caliber being moved at this point in his career? Khalil Mack would be the closest comparison. When Mack requested a trade, there were teams salivating at the idea of acquiring him. When he was traded from Oakland to Chicago, the Bears gave up two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick for Mack—a two and a conditional five. That’s a lot to give up. I don’t know if the Raiders maximized the return, but Mack refused to budge, and at 27, he was a key asset. Myles Garrett is 29 now, and I think the return would likely be similar. He’s an elite player and probably the best defensive player in the league. The return will likely be great, but the Browns’ GM Andrew Berry is on record saying that he wouldn’t even consider two first-round picks.
So, would Myles Garrett only go to contenders? Well, that’s his ideal scenario, but it depends. Would he go to a team like Chicago? Are they a Super Bowl contender right now? It’s about what he believes will give him a better shot at a championship than the Browns. And there are probably several NFL teams that would fall into that category. Every team would likely be interested in trading for Myles Garrett.
Would Myles Garrett consider the Chargers a contender, even though they haven’t been able to get close to the Super Bowl? Or maybe Baltimore, Detroit, or Green Bay? It’s about what he believes is his best chance at a Super Bowl. So, we’ll have to wait and see.
I think it’s a matter of what he feels. Teams will have to give up a lot to acquire him, but Myles will likely have some say in the matter since any team trading for him would need him under contract. So, he will have control over which teams he’s willing to go to. If Cleveland gets to a point where they’re willing to trade him, a lot of things will have to happen before we get there.

Good luck to all parties involved. There are plenty of NFC teams that would be excited to add Myles Garrett to their defense—teams like the Packers, Vikings, or Lions. Any of those teams would be willing to give up a lot to bring him in.