Updated Super Bowl LXI Odds After Surprising Myles Garrett Trade to Rams from Browns amid Rumors

The Los Angeles Rams established themselves as the clear Super Bowl favorites after their reported blockbuster trade for All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett on Monday.

In a post by Kay Adams of the Up & Adams podcast on X, it was noted that the Rams went from +700 favorites to +600 favorites to win Super Bowl LXI on FanDuel Sportsbook after the Garrett trade:

The Rams are followed by the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills at +1,000, the Baltimore Ravens at +1,100 and the New England Patriots at +1,600.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that the Browns agreed to send Garrett to the Rams in exchange for pass-rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.

Since hiring Sean McVay as head coach in 2017, the Rams have essentially been perennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders.

The Rams are 92-57 in nine seasons under McVay, qualifying for the playoffs seven times, winning the NFC West four times, reaching the Super Bowl twice, and winning the Super Bowl in 2021.

Acquiring quarterback Matthew Stafford helped put the Rams over the top in 2021, and the decision to trade for Garrett was undoubtedly done with an eye toward the same result in 2026.

The Rams were already among the best teams in the NFL before the Garrett trade, as they have reached the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, and made it to the NFC Championship Game last season where they fell on the road to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

L.A. got aggressive earlier in the offseason, trading a first-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for one-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie.

As significant as that move was, trading for a player of Garrett's caliber is on another level.

The 30-year-old veteran is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and he set a single-season NFL record last year with 23 sacks.

In addition to winning the NFL DPOY Award in two of the past three seasons, Garrett is a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time First Team All-Pro, and he has finished with 14 or more sacks in each of the past five campaigns.

Trading for Garrett is a sign that the Rams are in win-now mode, especially since they parted with a supremely talented player in order to get him.

The 25-year-old Verse has been named a Pro Bowler in each of his two NFL seasons. He could soon develop into an elite EDGE much like Garrett, but given that he has only 12 sacks over two seasons, Garrett represents a huge upgrade in terms of getting to the quarterback.

L.A.'s own quarterback is likely playing a big role in the organization's sense of urgency.

Although Stafford is coming off an MVP season, he is 38 years old, and it is fair to wonder how much longer he will be on top of his game.

The Rams are aiming to strike while the iron is hot, and the oddsmakers believe that aggressive aggressive approach has made them the team to beat in the NFL this coming season.