The Buffalo Bills have been hard at work this off-season re-building/re-tooling their defense. It was clear by the promotion of offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach that they felt that the defensive side of the ball was the aspect of their team that needed to be addressed the most.
Their first, and perhaps most important, move on defense was hiring Jim Leonhard as their defensive coordinator. Since then, they have added former Pro Bowl pass rusher Bradley Chubb in NFL free agency, but are not done making further additions.
And there is a chance, albeit a small one, that they could get the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett.
Buffalo Bills named as a sensible trade destination for Myles Garrett
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) walks on to the field after a timeout in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, Buffalo Bills
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) walks on to the field after a timeout in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
While the Cleveland Browns are adamant that they will not trade Garrett, their proposal to the NFL to allow for teams to trade first round picks up to four years into the future has led many to believe that he could be on the block soon.
Recently, Sports Illustrated released a list of 12 teams that they feel make sense as potential trade destinations for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and the Bills were one of them:
“Opening a new stadium has a way of forcing a team to punch the accelerator. While Bills fans seemingly need no incentive to support the franchise and have been surviving on heartbreak and provisions stored in the bitter cold snowfall permanently located in their backyards, a Garrett trade could be both a major gift to new head coach Joe Brady and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, and a way to ensure that neither tank during their first season, making the impulsive firing of Sean McDermott look ridiculous after McDermott turned the program around.
“The Bills already moved on Bradley Chubb this offseason, but have been perpetually trying to solve their pass-rushing issues via the veteran market due to late draft picks year after year.”
Garrett, of course, set the single season sack record last year with 23.0. Adding him to Leonhard’s defense would have an immeasurable effect on the unit.
That being said, the Browns have not yet made the star pass rusher available, and if/when they do, it will cost a great deal. But if the Bills want to finally break through and actually win the Super Bowl, this is the kind of risk that they would need to take.
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