The NFL truly is a league that never sleeps and that was emphatically proven on what should have been a relatively quiet time in the calendar. Instead, Monday June 1, 2026, will go down as a date to be remembered in pro football history.
Odell Beckham Jr. returned to the New York Giants and AJ Brown was – as expected – traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots. But those two wide receiver moves were nowhere near the biggest headline on a seismic day that could shape the entire 2026 season.
Myles Garrett – the best defender in the game, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and holder of the single-season sack record – was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams.
In the blockbuster deal, the Rams received the seven-time Pro Bowler. The Browns received the Rams’ first-round draft pick in 2027, a second-rounder in 2028, a third-round choice in 2029 and edge rusher Jared Verse, who was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.
Here are my random and initial thoughts on the trade…
Super Bowl or bust for the Rams
There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Rams – who lost last season’s NFC Championship Game to the Seattle Seahawks – are all-in for the Super Bowl. Earlier this offseason they traded for Kansas City cornerback Trent McDuffie and now they have added an historic pass-rusher in Garrett. It means an already-high bar has been raised further. If the Rams don’t win this upcoming season’s Super Bowl, that will be deemed a failure.
An obvious win for the Rams
The skills and impact of Garrett are on full display every Sunday, so I have no doubt he is going to be at his elite best in Los Angeles; even at the age of 30. He will continue to produce game-changing plays and will now do it on a team that will hold quite a lot of leads throughout the 2026 season. The thought of Myles being able to pin his ears back with no concerns about defending the run in the second half of games are terrifying. And with Garrett being double-teamed constantly, the likes of Byron Young (12 sacks in 2025) and Kobie Turner (7 sacks) are set for monster seasons.
But this is also a win for the Browns
Cleveland boasted the league’s best defender in 2025 and Garrett registered 23 sacks in a campaign that might not be matched for quite some time. But the Browns still won just five games. So, from their point of view, one player – albeit one of the greatest in franchise history – is not going to power them to the Super Bowl. They need to keep adding young players and the 2027 NFL Draft is likely when they go hunting for their franchise quarterback of the future. Collecting as many picks as possible before making that particular move was always going to be vital. But picks alone were never going to be enough from a Rams team likely to do very well in 2026. Any selections heading to Cleveland were likely to be in the lower parts of a round. But acquiring Verse is a solid move for the Browns. He is no Myles Garrett, but Verse is five years younger and is a very good player on the rise. In two seasons with the Rams, the two-time Pro Bowler has recorded 12 sacks and five forced fumbles. Those numbers do not tell the whole story. Verse is a defender who must be accounted for at all times and his arrival in Cleveland – even if he probably didn’t want to head to Ohio – means the Browns don’t have a gaping hole in their D.
An unlikely comeback
The rumour mill is operating at high speed after Garrett booked his flight to Los Angeles. The main (and fun) question focuses on the future of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. In 10 seasons with the Rams, arguably the most dynamic defensive tackle in NFL history recorded 111 sacks and powered LA to Super Bowl glory in the 2021 season. He retired after the 2023 season and is now 35 years old. But Donald routinely posts workout videos to social media and he looks in great shape. He posted one on the day of the Garrett trade with the caption… “Ready.” Is that a coincidence or a hint at the formation of what would be a devastating partnership? If Donald does make a comeback, that would further strengthen an already-scary defense.