The Cleveland Browns made a minor adjustment to All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett's current contract recently, opting to push back the single-season sack leader's option bonus from March into September.
Of course, whenever a big-name player's contract receives any sort of adjustment (especially if said player has frequently been part of trade rumors), it'll prompt no shortage of speculation about his future.
Is Cleveland looking to trade Garrett after inking him to a four-year, $160 million deal a year ago?
If so, are the San Francisco 49ers the most plausible trade partner?
As far-fetched as it seems, at least two media outlets are looking at the Niners as hot would-be pursuers of Garrett, should the Browns make him available.
2 different analysts see 49ers as a fit for Myles Garrett trade
San Francisco sorely needs pass-rushing help after recording a league-low 20 sacks last season. Of course, getting both Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams back from ACL tears should help, while the trade pickup of former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa will help matters, too.
Still, there's a glaring need for another bookend pass-rusher, so linking Garrett to the Bay Area isn't hard.
Here's what CBS Sports' John Breech had to say about it:
"Garrett had more sacks last season (23) than the 49ers did as a team (20). San Francisco finished with the fewest sacks in the NFL and needs any help it can get in the pass-rushing department. The team has already signed 33-year-old Mike Evans and appears all-in for 2026, making a Garrett trade the ultimate aggressive move."
To Breech's point, the 49ers' addition of Evans does signal a willingness to be aggressive, particularly within an uber-competitive NFC West that now boasts the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks.
Garrett would be the ultimate "get" in that arms race, as Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr suggested:
"The 49ers are moving like a team that acknowledges upgrades are necessary to compete in an increasingly competitive NFC West, and Garrett would dramatically raise the efficacy of star pass rusher Nick Bosa in the interim. This would be a salvo fired directly toward the less-mobile [Matt] Stafford and bootleg-dependent Sam Darnold within the division. "
True, such a trade would be insanely expensive, likely requiring a package involving several first-round picks and probably a starting-caliber player or two.
But, Garrett would check the box for the Niners' biggest high-profile need, and landing him would indicate an all-in kind of move by San Francisco.
Assuming Cleveland's latest tweak is part of a trade leadup, which no one truly knows.
Hat tip to David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone for the find.