Everything Browns' Todd Monken Said Before Shocking Myles Garrett Trade to Rams in Trending Video

Cleveland Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett was the subject of trade speculation amid his ongoing absence from voluntary OTAs.

Browns first-year head coach Todd Monken told reporters on Monday that he received no assurances that Garrett would be on the roster in 2026 when he took the job in Cleveland.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported soon after Monken's comments that the Browns traded Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for "Pro-Bowl edge Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick and other draft-pick compensation still being negotiated to the Browns."

"I was never assured of anything when I took the job... Whatever my contract said, that's what I was assured," Monken said. "No matter what any of us coaches sign up for, we show up every day, we coach the guys who are in the building like we've done since we've been here. That hasn't changed."

Zac Jackson of The Athletic reported that Garrett and the Browns agreed to a restructured deal in March in which Cleveland deferred his $29 million in bonus payments over the next three years, and the team will pay him $10 million in guaranteed money a week before the start of the regular season rather than in March. Jackson stated that "the only real explanation for the modification is that both sides were at least opening a trade window."

The Rams took advantage of the open window and acquired one of the best defensive players of the modern era, as Garrett will surely boost their chances of contending for a spot in the Super Bowl.

Monken and the Browns potentially accelerated their rebuild by acquiring a rising star like Verse and extra draft compensation.