While Myles Garrett’s future remains uncertain, the odds seem near 100 percent that the only AFC North team he could play for in 2025 is the Cleveland Browns. A team that holds the cards despite Garrett’s trade request away from Lake Erie. But former Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens DB Rod Woodson made the case for why the Browns shouldn’t be quick to hang up on any team, including ones in their own division.
Joining Rich Eisen on Super Bowl Radio Row Thursday, Woodson threw a curveball into the Garrett trade speculation.
“Which team gave all the money to the quarterback, Mr. [Deshaun] Watson? The Cleveland Browns,” he said. “So they make mistakes. You gotta hope that they make a mistake and give him to the Ravens.”
Woodson kept most of the discussion centered on Baltimore, the team he played for from 1998-2001 and won a ring with during the 2000 season as part of a historic defense. But when Rich Eisen brought up RB Jerome Bettis’ “adios” response to Garrett’s trade talk, Woodson didn’t fully accept the idea of even Pittsburgh closing the door on a deal.
“Yeah, you want him to leave but wouldn’t you want him on your squad?” Woodson said. “You gotta package the deal. right.”
While Cleveland has made many, many mistakes and squandered the prime years of RB Nick Chubb and DE Myles Garrett and a franchise-collapsing mistake in trading for and extending QB Deshaun Watson’s contract, it would be foolish for Cleveland to deal Garrett in-division. Given his top talent, the Browns will have plenty of suitors to trade out of the division and probably the conference.
Still, Woodson thinks every team should be making the call.
“All they can say is no,” he said.
Any call would be met with a quick decline. And the Steelers don’t have a need at outside linebacker with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, even if Garrett’s a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Perhaps Baltimore is a slightly more realistic target but even still, the odds of Garrett becoming a Raven are remote.
The first question will be if the Browns decide to move Garrett. Once that door opens, the next step will be finding a team Garrett wants to play for, the crux of the issue that led to his request.
