Cleveland has a lot of experience with this song and dance. In early 2025, Garrett publicly asked for a trade, citing a desire to chase Super Bowls in the remaining years of his career. He then went on a media tour, publicly doubling down on his requests before committing to the Browns after they handed him a roster-best four-year, $160 million deal.
Garrett promptly produced the second Defensive Player of the Year campaign of his career, resetting the league’s single-season sack record (23) en route to earning the top defensive honor.
Cleveland, meanwhile, struggled with Garrett’s record-setting contributions, finishing 5-12 in a season largely attributed to having one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Their continued struggles certainly don’t help quell the rumors, but as Garafolo explained Friday, the Browns will resist any and all trade talks about Garrett just as firmly as they did in 2025.
“It wasn’t on the table last year,” Garafolo said on NFL Network. “It’s not on the table again this year … The Browns say they’re not going to trade him and they’ve promised us we won’t look stupid if we say it. So we’ll see.”
The Browns won’t find it easy to overcome the allegations, not after they recently proposed expanding the trade window for draft picks from three to five years into the future. Many have understandably seen these two events as more than coincidence.
Garrett’s elite status will naturally be of immense interest any time there is any indication that he might be available. As it stands now, it appears as if the Browns are not open to the idea of trading him — even if the tea leaves suggest otherwise.