The specter of a Myles Garrett trade hung over the Cleveland Browns franchise for quite some time. The All-Pro defensive end made his desire for a trade public in February 2025, and the Browns were forced to deal with rumors from that day forward.
The request came while Garrett was seeking a contract extension, which he eventually received. Interestingly, that new deal included a no-trade clause.
However, rumors persisted all of last season and heated up again as the 2026 NFL Draft approached. The Browns ultimately traded Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams on June 1.
Cleveland could have saved itself a lot of drama and maybe received a better trade package had it traded Garrett more than a year ago. But the Browns may have had a reason for not doing so.
Insider Mike Florio is raising a theory as to why the Browns waited to trade Garrett, and it has everything to do with their new stadium.
“I keep thinking about this, to explain why the Browns wouldn’t do it a year ago. A year ago, they were still trying to get a new stadium financed,” Florio said.
Florio said the Browns likely did not want to risk angering their fan base and creating antagonism within the community by trading away Garrett before the stadium deal was in place. With other legislative concerns needing to be worked out as well, the Browns’ deal for a new stadium became official on Dec. 1, 2025.
Then, in late March 2026, the Browns changed some of the wording in Garrett’s contract to make him easier to trade. That reignited the rumors heading toward the NFL Draft, and even though the Browns held on to him, negotiations with the Rams eventually reached the point where a deal could be made.
Interestingly, the new stadium has also been mentioned as a possible motivation for the Browns to start Deshaun Watson at quarterback this season. If it is believed that Watson gives them a better chance to win this season, it could boost interest in the sale of personal seat licenses (PSLs), regardless of what effect such a decision could have on the team’s future.
Building a new stadium is difficult in and of itself, but the Browns’ situation seems to be more complicated than most.
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