NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Les Snead was concerned.
The Los Angeles Rams general manager had been in discussions with Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry for over a month, hoping to land star defensive end Myles Garrett in a trade, Snead revealed to reporters on Tuesday. During this process, Snead’s concern arose:
“Should we have gone through all this and then [Myles] going to say ‘No,'” Snead said.
That’s because in order for the trade to go through, Garrett had to waive his no-trade clause, which was included in the four-year contract extension he signed with the Browns in March 2025. So after the Rams went back and forth on draft compensation and reluctantly agreed to include future star Jared Verse, there was still a chance for de Garrett.
It’s a rare occurrence in sports when a player who is under contract and not a free agent has a direct impact on their future. Garrett earned it just after nine elite years with Cleveland, earning seven Pro Bowl nods and tying the NFL record (23) in 2025 to receive his second Defensive Player of the Year award. He had requested a trade after the 2024 season before ultimately rejoining Cleveland, so the interest in being sent elsewhere was there.
Still, Garrett said, it was a decision he had to sleep on.
Garrett heard about the trade possibility “about a week ago,” he said Tuesday, speaking at an introductory press conference with Snead and Rams head coach Sean McVay. Garrett’s contract had been restructured to reduce the cap in 2029 and 2030, making him an easier asset to move. When the Rams were the expected destination, he got excited.
“It was a surprise, it was a little bit of excitement,” Garrett said. “Being in LA, I have a lot of roots here. And knowing that there’s a winning culture and great teammates and great coaches here, I was definitely looking forward to the opportunity.”
Garrett had only made the playoffs twice in nine years in Cleveland. Playing with the expectation of a deep postseason run and Super Bowl experience was an opportunity he relished, one he would surely waive a no-trade clause for.
“To be a winner now, to have an opportunity to do it right away, it was ultimately too hard to pass up,” he said. “The opportunity to come here, to make an immediate and profound impact on this team, it was just something I had to move forward with.”
Snead said Sunday he felt “confident” the deal would be completed. After weeks of haggling over picks and players, a sense of “finality” crept in, he said.
“There was a lot of discussion about it,” McVay added. “Until it became a reality, to be able to add players like this, it’s so rare for opportunities to come along. We feel very fortunate. This feels very similar to when we signed Matthew Stafford. It was a long wait until it was actually official.”
Part of the wait included Garrett waiving his no-trade clause and agreeing to be traded to Los Angeles himself. After deliberation and self-reflection, he did just that.
