The Los Angeles Rams are now the most dangerous team in the NFL for 2026, and it is because of one trade.
The Rams acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Jared Verse and a package of draft picks that includes a 2027 first-rounder. There is also a conditional 2029 third-rounder that becomes a first if Garrett is later traded to another AFC North team.
The Contract Twist
Garrett and the Rams reportedly reworked his contract. He now has low cap hits over the next three seasons and averages around $33 million per year on a functional basis. His 2026 cap hit is only $8.1 million, which ranks him 40th among edge rushers.
That is stunning value for the best defensive player in football. Los Angeles took on massive draft compensation to get Garrett, but the deal is a bargain from a cash-flow perspective in Year 1.
Why This Makes the Rams the Favorite
The Rams already had Matthew Stafford, the reigning MVP, plus offensive playmakers in Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Nacua was a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year. Adams led the NFL in touchdowns.
The offense was already elite. Now the defense has the best pass rusher in football. That is a Super Bowl formula.
Garrett recorded 17 run stuffs from edge alignment last season, second-most in the league. His 28 run stops from edge alignment were fourth. He affects every snap he is on the field for, and adding him to a Rams defense that already has real talent turns Los Angeles into an actual title favorite.
What the Browns Get
Cleveland got Jared Verse, a young star pass rusher who was rookie Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, plus a bounty of future picks. Verse is not Garrett. Nobody is. But he is a real player at a premium position, and the picks give the Browns real rebuilding capital.
The trade is still a signal that Cleveland is out of the immediate contention business. That is the right call for a team without a franchise quarterback and no clear path to fixing that in 2026.
The AFC North Fallout
The Browns just got worse. Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh just got better by comparison. The AFC North is now a three-team race, and the Ravens should be favored to win it.
The conditional pick that becomes a first if Garrett gets traded within the division is smart contract writing. Cleveland does not want to help Baltimore. This ensures they will not.
Why the Rams Made This Move Now
Sean McVay’s window is right now. Stafford is 38 years old and closer to the end than the middle. Nacua and Adams are in their primes. This is the team that has to win, and adding a Hall of Fame pass rusher is exactly how you push over the top.
The Rams have not been shy about spending picks for stars. This is the same organization that traded first-round picks for Stafford, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey. They won a Super Bowl doing it once. They are betting Garrett gets them another.
What to Watch
Week 1 is against the 49ers in Australia. That game just became one of the most important early-season matchups in years. Garrett hunting Brock Purdy overseas is exactly the kind of storyline the NFL has been trying to create.
Los Angeles has a real chance to run the table. Everything sets up. All they need is Garrett to be Garrett and Stafford to stay healthy.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
