Uniting DPOY Myles Garrett with MVP Matthew Stafford, Rams and Browns just made trade that could define 2026 season — and perhaps 2027 NFL Draft
When the Los Angeles Rams shocked the NFL world by drafting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson 13th overall in April, questions went well beyond Simpson's limited college experience and fitness as a first-round talent.
The Los Angeles Rams were coming off an NFC championship game appearance and MVP season from quarterback Matthew Stafford.
They had earned their position as the betting favorites to win the next Super Bowl.
So why not use their first-round pick to draft an immediate impact player like, for example, USC wide receiver Makai Lemon or Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.?
Rams general manager Les Snead defended the decision then.
Vision has always been special with Matthew Stafford," Snead told reporters at the conclusion of the draft's first round. I hate sitting here and going, You're a player away in a draft from the Super Bowl.' ...
There's a lot of hard work that happens between this night and whoever's playing in that game in February."
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It's true that a rookie without an NFL track record is no guarantee to push a team over the Super Bowl hump. Nor is any veteran player. But if there's any player in the NFL who would give the Rams the best chance to be on the biggest stage in their home stadium for the second time in six years, it's reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
And that's why it's no hyperbole to say the Rams' Monday trade for Garrett could very well define the 2026 NFL season.
Before Monday, no team had ever successfully traded for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, per Elias Sports. No reigning Defensive Player of the Year had switched teams the next year since 1997.
The Rams acquired the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Pro on Monday in exchange for two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third, two sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports.
So while Simpson's future still poses plenty of questions, any legitimate questions about the Rams' commitment to winning with the 38-year-old Stafford this season should simmer down.
That hard work" Snead mentioned between the draft and February?
For the Rams, some of it happened this week.
For the Browns, the decision was more complicated.
Why would Browns trade a star like Myles Garrett?It would be silly to question whether the Browns understand Garrett's talent.
They understood in 2017 that Garrett was worth the No. 1 overall pick even in a year when quarterbacks went second, 10th and 12th overall - and the Browns needed a quarterback.
The Browns have watched as Garrett developed from a seven-sack rookie to a defensive game-wrecker notching double-digit sacks in eight straight years - and twice winning Defensive Player of the Year honors.
And the Browns celebrated in December when, as a bright spot in a gloomy five-win season, Garrett reset the NFL's sack record with a full 23 quarterback takedowns in the 2025 season.
The Rams are acquiring a player whose 125.5 sacks in nine years rank third among active players and 20th among players all time. At 30 years old and fresh off his best season, Garrett seems to have plenty left in the tank.
He also seemed highly unlikely to take the Browns to any promised land in 2026 after Cleveland failed to win its division in any of his nine years and only once won a playoff game.
So Cleveland had a decision to make: Pay Garrett $31.5 million guaranteed in 2026 and $41.7 million guaranteed in 2027 when the rebuild underway is unlikely to reap benefits this year and likely still be early to truly contend next? Or gain assets that better align with their timeline - while still finding a high-impact player who could help their defense this season and beyond?
When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position, but as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads," general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. Do we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?
In that framework, the decision became clear, although our emotions were muddled."
The Browns aren't claiming that Verse is any second coming of Garrett, and they fully expect him to ball out for the Rams, multiple sources with knowledge of the franchise's thinking told Yahoo Sports on Monday afternoon. But the acquisition of a high-impact starting edge rusher this year was a must in the Browns signing off on a deal, multiple sources said.
It's impossible shoes to fill, he's going to be a Hall of Famer," one source said of Garrett. But the source explained that the Browns think Verse is going to be extremely disruptive" working in tandem with a group of talented players from the 2025 fourth-ranked defense and thus Cleveland wasn't left asking itself who would rush the passer.
Since Los Angeles drafted Verse 19th overall in 2024, he's earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors as well as Pro Bowl berths in each of his two seasons. Verse has started 33 games over two years, collecting 124 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in that stretch.
He's five years younger than Garrett and his $2.5 million average salary for the next two years creates salary cap flexibility even if Verse is eligible for an extension after this year.
Verse is worth probably a first and more," a second source said. So that part is appealing in terms of both accomplishing the short and long-term team building."
The Rams and Browns' trajectory diverges long-term, too.
While Rams look to Lombardi, Browns could turn Garrett comp into QBThe Rams and Browns both know that in 2026, the Rams are strong contenders and the Browns' roster looks like one rebuilding not contending.
The Rams' question marks begin to grow bigger in 2027 and especially 2028, with Stafford hitting 40 in that timeline and Simpson entering Years 2 and 3 of his career after spending three years sitting in college. But expect Simpson to get a chance before the Rams spend more capital on a quarterback.
And before then, to maximize the end of Stafford's window, the Rams continue their apparent affinity for making big swings in seasons in which their stadium is set to host the Super Bowl, even if it risks a reset afterward. The Rams also traded for Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and signed fellow Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson this spring to upgrade their secondary.
Cleveland, meanwhile, knows the chance they'll need to draft a quarterback next year is real.
Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are essentially competing for the 2026 starting job. Watson appears to be ahead in the race, but that doesn't eliminate questions about his health after multiple season-ending injuries and off-field allegations of misconduct that have helped trigger a precipitous drop in his play since 2020. Sanders fell to the 2025 fifth round for reasons, and while he showed flashes as a rookie, his resume did not convince a new coaching staff the job is his this spring.
If one of them stars this year, then the Browns can use their 2027 first, 2028 second and 2029 third for other means. But if Cleveland needs a quarterback next year, two first-round picks will give them more flexibility to acquire a premium player in a strong draft and maneuver the draft board as they've become accustomed to doing. More picks allow for more ways to accomplish trades due to the need to find fair swaps, the same way more coins create more ways to produce change in favor of a dollar.
The Browns' 2027 draft stockpile currently features two firsts, a second, a third, three fourths, two fifths and two sevenths.
Cleveland is not naive to the fact that the Rams' 2027 first could well be in the final three picks of the round. That doesn't mean packaging it won't create value.
Could the Rams parlay this trade into a Super Bowl Trophy in February and the Browns, a long-awaited franchise quarterback months later?
You can't shortcut this [rebuild]," one Browns source said. A win-win hopefully for both teams because [Garrett] is going to go there and ball.
But for us, we couldn't maximize him in this window."