49ers would be foolish to not take a swing at a Myles Garrett trade

The 49ers need to go all out to win the Myles Garrett sweepstakes.

Miami Dolphins v Cleveland Browns
Miami Dolphins v Cleveland Browns | Jason Miller/GettyImages

One of the most talented edge rushers in the NFL, Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, has requested a trade. While a trade is not super likely, the San Francisco 49ers would be foolish to not test the waters and see if they can land him.

Garrett released a statement saying that while he loves Cleveland, his main goal is to win a Super Bowl.

"While I've loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent," Garrett shared in his announcement. "The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns."

Browns general manager Andrew Berry has been adamant that Cleveland does not want to trade Garrett. He has even said he wants to extend Garrett's contract. If Cleveland does not want to trade him, then nothing is forcing them to. But if Garrett holds out and refuses to play, then the Browns may have no other choice but to deal him.

NFL reporter Dianna Russini of The Athletic posted on social media that she spoke with an NFL general manager who believes it will probably take a first- and a second-round pick along with a player to get a deal done for Garrett.

That is a fair amount to give up, but Garrett is worth it.

The 29-year-old perennial Pro Bowler had 14 sacks and 22 tackles for loss in the 2024 season and made first-team All-Pro for the fourth time in his career. He is an absolute beast, and pairing him with Nick Bosa, one of the other premier edge rushers in the game, would make the 49ers' defense an absolute nightmare to go up against.

We know that the championship window for San Francisco may be closing. Veteran players are getting older, and we saw in 2024 how susceptible the team is to injuries. The 49ers need all of the stars they can get, and adding a player of Garrett's caliber would take their defense to the next level.

The Niners have struggled for years to find a worthy edge rusher to play opposite Bosa. Swinging a blockbuster trade for Garrett coupled with Robert Saleh's return as defensive coordinator could mean that San Francisco would once again have one of the, if not the, most feared defense in the NFL.

From Garrett's point of view, joining the 49ers would be great. They have come so close to winning a Super Bowl with Kyle Shanahan as a head coach, and Garrett could be that one missing piece who puts them over the top.

However, as our own Peter Panacy pointed out, Garrett seems likely to want a contract extension from whatever team he is traded to. This may be complicated by quarterback Brock Purdy's current contract negotiations.

Even if pulling off a trade would be unlikely (and even if it would cost a lot of money and draft capital to get it done), the Niners know the championship window is closing. They need to do everything they can to maximize these years when they still have a legitimate shot to win the Super Bowl.

Trading for Garrett would greatly increase their chances of bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to San Francisco, which is why the 49ers should do everything they can to get it done.

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