NFL Rumors: Browns Compared Myles Garrett to Lamar Jackson's Trade, Contract Situation

The Cleveland Browns reportedly saw a fellow AFC North team as something of a blueprint when negotiating with Myles Garrett this offseason following a trade request.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Cleveland and Garrett agreed to a contract extension that pays him an average-annual value of $40 million and ties him to the organization through 2030. It also features $123.5 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler appeared on SportsCenter and compared it to a similar situation with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (46-second mark).

"I'm told the Browns looked at this a little bit like the Lamar Jackson situation a couple years ago," Fowler said. "Phenomenal player, couldn't get a contract situated, so he requested a trade and eventually they reached a deal. That's how some of these things work, especially for the top-10 players in the league."

While Jackson is synonymous with the current era of the Ravens, it wasn't that long ago he requested a trade ahead of the 2023 season. Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, which allowed him to negotiate with other teams around the league.

Yet the two sides eventually agreed to a five-year, $260 million deal that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time.

Now Garrett is the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history after his future with the Browns seemed precarious at best following his trade request. And that is welcome news for Cleveland, as one of the best defensive players in the league is remaining with the only NFL team he has ever known.

Garrett's list of accomplishments includes a Defensive Player of the Year, four First-Team All-Pro nods, six Pro Bowl selections and seven consecutive seasons with double-digit sack totals.

He was dominant once again in 2024 with 47 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass defended. And he will look to build on that in 2025 and beyond as he stays inside the same division as Jackson and the Ravens.

The timing of Sunday's extension is ideal for Cleveland, as it allows the front office to now shift its attention to the start of free agency and April's draft. Given how many holes there are across a roster that went 3-14 last season, that is a much-needed development.

Quarterback will be under the spotlight for the Browns with the No. 2 pick in the draft and a glaring need since Deshaun Watson is sidelined by his second Achilles tear.

If the team makes the right pick, it could have another foundational cornerstone alongside Garrett.