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The Sneads were worried.
The Los Angeles Rams general manager had been in discussions with Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry for more than a month, hoping to sign star defensive end Myles Garrett in a trade, Snead revealed to reporters Tuesday. During this process, concern came to Snead’s mind:
“Are we going to have experienced all that and then [Myles] going to say, ‘No,'” Snead said.
Indeed, for the trade to be finalized, Garrett had to waive his no-trade clause, which was included in the four-year contract extension he signed with the Browns in March 2025. So, after the Rams went back and forth on draft compensation and reluctantly agreed to include rising star Jared Verse, there was still a chance Garrett could back out of the deal.
It’s rare in sports for a player under contract and not a free agent to have a say in his future. Garrett earned that right after nine elite years with Cleveland, earning seven Pro Bowl nominations and setting the NFL sack record (23) in 2025 to receive his second Defensive Player of the Year award. He had requested a trade after the 2024 season, before ultimately re-signing with Cleveland, so the interest in being shipped elsewhere was there.
Still, Garrett said, it was a decision he had to sleep on.
Garrett learned of the possibility of a trade “about a week ago,” he said Tuesday, speaking at an introductory news conference alongside Snead and Rams head coach Sean McVay. Garrett’s contract had been restructured to reduce the cap hit in 2029 and 2030, making him an easier asset to move. When the Rams were the expected destination, he got excited.
“It was a surprise, it was a little bit of excitement,” Garrett said. “Being in Los Angeles, I have a lot of roots here. And knowing that there’s a winning culture, and great teammates and great coaches here, I was really looking forward to this opportunity.”
Garrett had only made the playoffs twice in nine years in Cleveland. Playing with the expectation of a deep postseason run and Super Bowl experience was an opportunity he valued, for which he would certainly waive a no-trade clause.
“To be a winner now, to have the opportunity to do it immediately, it was ultimately too hard to pass up,” he said. “The opportunity to come here, to have an immediate and profound impact on this team, it was just something I had to pursue.”
Snead said Sunday he felt “confident” the trade would be finalized. After weeks of haggling over picks and players, a sense of “finality” set in, he said.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about it,” McVay added. “Until it becomes a reality, to be able to add players like this, it’s so rare, for opportunities that present themselves. We feel very fortunate. It’s a lot like when we acquired Matthew Stafford. It was a long time before it was actually official.”
Part of that expectation included Garrett waiving his no-trade clause and agreeing to be traded to Los Angeles himself. After deliberation and personal reflection, that’s exactly what he did.
