How the rest of the league feels about the Rams landing Myles Garrett: nervous
A contender adding the best pass rusher in football reshapes the NFC. Around the league, the reaction to the Garrett trade is a mix of respect for the Browns' haul and worry about what Los Angeles just became.
When a contender adds the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, the rest of the league notices. The reaction to the Rams acquiring Myles Garrett splits two ways: admiration for the package Cleveland extracted, and unease about how dangerous Los Angeles suddenly looks in the NFC.
Why does this trade rattle the NFC?
Because it pairs an elite quarterback with an elite pass rusher on a team already built to contend. The Rams had Matthew Stafford and a capable roster; adding the single most disruptive defender in football raises their ceiling into the top tier of the conference. For NFC contenders who expected a clear path, the math just got harder. A Garrett-led pass rush is the kind of unit that can swing a January game on its own, and everyone planning for the postseason now has to account for it.
What's the respect for Cleveland about?
The Browns sold high and won the trade on value. Even with Los Angeles getting the better player, the consensus is that Cleveland extracted more than should have been reasonably possible: a 25-year-old two-time Pro Bowler in Jared Verse plus a 2027 first, a 2028 second, and a 2029 third. Front offices around the league recognize that as a masterclass in cashing in a 30-year-old superstar at peak value. The Browns reset their timeline and got a real building block doing it.
What's the lingering question?
Whether the Rams' window is wide enough to justify the cost. Los Angeles mortgaged three premium picks and reworked Garrett's deal to bump his 2026 pay past $37 million. McVay compared the aggression to the Stafford trade that won a title, and that's the bet: contend now, worry about the picks later. The rest of the league's unease is really a compliment, the Rams made themselves scary, and the only thing that makes the trade look bad in hindsight is missing the window it was built to chase.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: How do other teams feel about Myles Garrett's trade?
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