Myles Garrett is currently having one of the best seasons by a pass rusher in NFL history and is on pace to break the 22.5 sack record held by both T.J. Watt and Michael Strahan.
But once Garrett (hopefully) completes the league's greatest sack-season ever, could he force the Cleveland Browns' hand and request a trade from the team that drafted him?
It's possible. After all, the former No. 1 overall pick requested one last March and may not want to waste the tail end of his prime with a losing team.
Myles Garrett trade would cost Browns $41 million in dead cap
ESPN's Dan Graziano floated the idea that Garrett could demand out of Cleveland after the season ends, and broke down how his contract would affect the Browns' cap sheet.
"Garrett is 3.5 sacks behind the single-season record (19) with five games to play. He might be the greatest player in the NFL right now. But in his nine seasons, his teams have a combined record of 56-87-1, and he has played in a total of two playoff games. So, just in case he decides to go full Micah Parsons next offseason and force the Browns' hand, I think it's important to point out that his latest contract extension does not make it difficult to trade him," wrote Graziano.
"He is guaranteed about $62 million over the next two years, so an acquiring team would be getting a deal if he continued to play anywhere near his current level. The Browns would incur around $41 million in dead cap charges if they were to trade him, which is about half of what the Broncos took in dead money when they cut Russell Wilson (and they're 20-10 since they did that)."
While the Browns would have to eat $41 million in dead cap, the draft capital they would get in a Garrett trade would make the lost money more palatable.
A Garrett trade isn't guaranteed, of course, but it's fair to wonder how much losing takes a toll on a player of his caliber.
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