Cleveland Browns legend Joe Thomas is not hiding how much the Myles Garrett trade stings.
Cleveland sent its franchise cornerstone to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for edge rusher Jared Verse. They also received a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
Thomas and Garrett share a unique bond. When Cleveland drafted Garrett No. 1 overall in 2017, it was Thomas’ final season. A torn triceps ended Thomas’ career in Week 7. The two shared the field for just six games.
In his final Browns season, Garrett set an NFL single-season sack record with 23. He earned his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award to go with five first-team All-Pro selections.
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio June 21, Thomas admitted it wasquite painful seeing the beloved superstar go.
“So it was really hard to hear that he was traded,” he said. “It hurts everybody that Myles is not a Brown anymore.”
Cleveland legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas talks with Beacon Journal sports writer Nate Ulrich at the 2025 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards.
Joe Thomas Sees the Big Picture Behind Browns’ Shocking Myles Garrett Trade
Thomas never saw this coming. Garrett was the kind of generational talent Thomas assumed would finish his career in a Cleveland uniform, just as he did.
“Yeah, I mean, I think the news came out, it probably caught a lot of people by surprise,” Thomas continued. “I knew there was always going to be a chance that the Browns [would trade] Myles, just knowing the situation they’re in and the valuable asset they had. But for Cleveland fans, it’s tough, right?”
Thomas spent all 11 seasons of his career in Cleveland. The Pro Football Hall of Famer earned 10 Pro Bowl selections. The six-time All-Pro honoree was the only offensive lineman in NFL history voted to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls to open a career.
Thomas played 10,363 consecutive snaps and allowed just 30 sacks across 6,680 career pass-blocking attempts. Nobody understands what it means to be a Brown longer than Thomas does.
That perspective is exactly why he can see past the pain. Thomas acknowledged the business reality of what Cleveland received. He believes the returnsets the franchise up for something bigger.
“I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we’re still here to try to win championships,” Thomas said. “And when you look at the Myles trade, to be able to get a great young player like Jared Verse — who’s a tremendous pass rusher, who’s a great asset to that team. He’s on a friendly contract, saving money there.
“Getting three draft choices for Myles — a first, second, and a third. It puts us in a much better position for the next two, three, four years as we’re in this building phase.”