Rams
The Los Angeles Rams made a blockbuster trade to acquire Myles Garrett a few months ahead of the 2026 NFL season, but to this point, the results have not paid off as the Rams hoped, so it is time to revisit the trade.
Revisiting Rams Blockbuster Trade for Myles Garrett About Halfway Through 2026 Season
Framework of the Trade
During the offseason, the Rams made a variety of moves to improve the roster, but one move that really stood out was trading for Cleveland Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett, who has been one of the best players in the entire league for a few seasons now.
The trade occurred on June 1st, 2026, with the Rams sending over a 2027 1st-round pick, a 2028 2nd-round pick, and a 2029 3rd-round pick in exchange for Garrett coming over from the Browns
When looking at this trade, it is very clear that the Rams wanted to go all in to compete for a Super Bowl title, as this is a lot of draft compensation to give up, but in some cases, acquiring a player like Garrett is well worth it.
Revisiting the Trade
Now, when it comes to who has won the trade thus far, it does seem like, at least in the present, that the Browns have won the trade, as Garrett has only played in the season opener between the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, and in that game he did not look like himself while being held off the stat sheet aside from generating three quarterback pressures according to PFF.
Following the game, Garrett revealed he was not close to 100 percent, and a few days later, Garrett was placed on IR and had to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, which has kept him out to this point. Additionally, head coach Sean McVay provided an injury update this week, as he said Garrett is week to week but was not activated for practice this week in preparation for the battle for LA against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Also, the Rams have been inconsistent, as they have an overall record of 3-4, and without Garrett, the Rams have been looking for answers on defense. While Garrett is only one player, his impact is major.
Shifting focus to the Browns, they have had a great start to the season as they are 5-2 and have gotten some solid performances from Verse so far this year. Through the Browns’ first seven games, Verse has tallied 17 total tackles and three tackles for loss, as well as 12 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
All that to say, the Rams’ struggles and Garrett not being available added to the fact that the Browns have gotten off to a 5-2 start and have gotten some great play from Verse, suggesting that at least so far this year, Cleveland has won the trade, but there is still time for Garrett to get back this season as well as in future years to help Los Angeles become more competitive and have an even more dominant defense.
The Last Word
Rams
Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, AUS; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (95) pressures San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) in the first half at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
When it comes to looking at the grand scheme of things, who wins and loses this trade will come down to the play of Garrett and Verse over the next few seasons, but also whether or not the Browns can hit on their draft picks because if Cleveland misses on those picks, it would not look as bad on the Rams side and could lead to them winning the trade.
On the Los Angeles side, the main way for them to clearly win this trade is for them to be able to get to and win the Super Bowl, as that is the main reason they made this trade to begin with. Based on that, getting Garrett healthy is a major priority, which is why Los Angeles is not rushing him back, but instead making sure he is ready to be fully activated.
So, moving forward, it will be interesting to see when Garrett is activated this season and if he can cause major disruption for the Rams and help this team make the deep playoff run and win the Super Bowl, because if Garrett can do that, regardless of what happens in Cleveland, this move would be viewed as a success in LA for the Rams.
More Los Angeles Rams News
Rams Could Be First Opponent to Match Up With Micah Parsons
Week 8 Preview: Los Angeles Chargers vs Los Angeles Rams
Rams Record Improves to 3-4 Which Leads to 2 Spot Jump in ESPN Power Rankings
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images