Just when the Cleveland Browns thought they had put all the Myles Garrett trade speculation behind them, after the 2026 NFL Draft was over, rumors are bubbling to the surface again with the All-Pro absent from the first few sets of offseason practices. Even worse, head coach Todd Monken said he hasn’t had any face-to-face interaction with the team’s best player.
Garrett has stayed away from voluntary minicamps and organized team activities (OTAs) in the past, so perhaps not too much should be read into that. But he could have changed his usual course and at least been on hand to set an example for his young teammates, and show support for his new head coach, and first-time coordinator, Mike Rutenberg.
However, that is not the case, and Garrett may be trolling Monken, which is not helping the Browns at all, especially as fans fret about his future. It is a distraction that no first-time head coach needs, and it isn’t going away anytime soon.
Insider Tony Grossi is casting doubt about any current Garrett trade talks, saying nothing is likely to happen during the preseason, but this season’s trade deadline and beyond could be another matter entirely.
“Although I’m an advocate of auctioning Garrett to the highest bidder, I do not believe a post-June 1 trade is in the works. I also think it’s doubtful – but not impossible — he would be traded at the Week 10 trade deadline. However, the story will continue to exist next year because of the modifications the Browns made to Garrett’s contract, with his cooperation,” Grossi wrote.
Last offseason, Garrett publicly requested a trade during contract negotiations, but later signed a deal that included a no-trade clause. Then, this offseason, the Browns changed the wording of Garrett’s contract in a way that would make him easier to trade, though they maintained they did not want to part with him. Yet, that did not stop persistent rumors leading up to the draft about the potentially large haul they could get for him.
Now, Garrett may be sending a message to the organization after they hired Monken instead of promoting former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Whether that is enough to drive him to make another trade request is currently unknown.
This could all blow over once Garrett shows up to practice, which could be as soon as mandatory minicamp early next month, but if he is not there, the speculation about a potential trade will only intensify.
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