Myles Garrett trade has an interesting wrinkle if he’s traded back to the AFC North

The Cleveland Browns shocked the NFL world on Monday, when they traded two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.

And based on a wrinkle in the terms of the deal, it is clear the Browns do not want to see Garrett again, at least, not in the AFC North.

Under the terms of the trade, the Browns sent Garrett to the Rams in exchange for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick. The first-round pick next season caught the eyes of many, given how next season’s draft class is currently viewed in the eyes of the scouting world. Not only is that class expected to be much deeper than the 2026 NFL Draft class, but there are several standout quarterbacks in that crop.

That list includes Dante Moore, who might have been the second-overall pick this past season had he entered the 2026 NFL Draft, Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, Trinidad Chambliss, CJ Bailey, CJ Carr, Jayden Maiava, Drew Mestemaker, Darian Mensah, and more. With Cleveland still looking to settle the quarterback position for the long term, having a pair of first-round picks could be huge.

But we need to talk about that third-round pick

Because, as noted by Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot, that is actually a conditional third-round pick, that could become a first.

If the Rams were to trade Garrett back to one of Cleveland’s AFC North rivals.

You can understand Cleveland’s concern. Garrett is just 30 years old, and has a lot of high-level football ahead of him. With the Rams looking to go all-in this season, likely at the tail end of Matthew Stafford’s career, they could be moved to trade Garrett in a season or two in an effort to aid their eventual rebuild.

And a player of Garrett’s caliber is going to have suitors, including teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. A particular worry might be the Ravens. Sashi Brown was the executive vice president in Cleveland, tasked with making football decisions, when the Browns drafted Garrett.

He is now the President of the Ravens.

So if the Browns are going to have to see Garrett in the future, you can understand why they might want another first-round pick as part of the deal.