Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett wants out, and chances are, the Browns will have to oblige and give him what he wants.
Do the Browns want to trade Garrett? No, but the six-time Pro Bowler has made it abundantly clear that he is tired of losing and wants to head to a franchise that is contending for a Super Bowl.
Cleveland obviously does not offer that option right now, so even though Garrett has two years left on his contract, he is trying to force the Browns’ hand.
Of course, Cleveland can call his bluff and elect not to move him, but then the Browns are risking Garrett creating a toxic environment in the locker room.
So more than likely, Cleveland will have to give in to Garrett’s demands. But there is a nasty, overlooked part of a Garrett trade that not many are discussing: a dead cap charge.
The Browns are already dealing with a dead cap hit of $39.7 million in 2025 thanks to their midseason trade of wide receiver Amari Cooper, and if Cleveland deals Garrett before June 1, it will take on an extra $32.95 million dead cap charge.
That is not exactly chump change, and it makes the Browns’ financial situation—which was already miserable as it was—that much more tenuous.
Cleveland can diminish some of that money by designating Garrett as a post-June 1 trade, but the odds of that happening are slim to none. If Garrett is going to be dealt, it will almost certainly be before the NFL Draft so the Browns can gather some 2025 draft capital.
Obviously, the counterpoint is that Cleveland stands to gain a massive haul in any potential trade for the 29-year-old, so the amount of draft picks (and potentially young players) the Browns would receive could essentially offset the cap charges. Kind of like how the third-round pick they landed for a declining Cooper definitely made the money more palatable.
But still, no one wants to absorb that type of cap hit, and it’s something Cleveland will have to deal with if and when it ultimately decides to jettison Garrett.
