Myles Garrett was close to joining Josh Allen in bid to win a Super Bowl

The Cleveland Browns ultimately sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in one of the biggest moves of the NFL offseason, but the departure of the franchise defensive star could have taken a completely different path.

According to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer , the Buffalo Bills had been monitoring Garrett’s situation for several years and even made a last-minute push to acquire the star defender on the same day the deal between Cleveland and Los Angeles became public.

“But sources say another team called Cleveland on the day the trade leaked: the Bills, who had checked in periodically on Garrett’s availability for the better part of two years,” Pelissero wrote.

Jared Verse was the key to the Rams winning the race for Garrett

The reason Buffalo could not match Los Angeles’ offer was clear: they did not have a player of Jared Verse ’s caliber to include in the trade.

The Browns received the young defensive end, along with three draft picks: a first-round selection in the loaded 2027 class, a second-round pick in 2028, and a third-round selection in 2029.

Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry explained that acquiring Verse was one of the main reasons the team agreed to the trade.

“Chief among the considerations to make the decision was the inclusion of Jared Verse,” Berry said on June 1. “We receive a young, elite player at a premium position who will only continue to improve in his third NFL season. Jared’s passion and relentless style of play will be embraced by our fans. He will fit right in with the established identity of our defense.”

During the offseason, the Browns even proposed a rule change that would have allowed teams to trade draft picks up to five years into the future. The NFL rejected the proposal, although it raises the question of whether the Bills could have changed history with a more aggressive package of draft picks for Garrett.

Myles Garrett is an MVP candidate despite injury concerns

While Cleveland is building for the future with Verse, the Los Angeles Rams acquired one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL.

Verse, selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft , already has two Pro Bowl selections and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season. Although he is not yet at Garrett’s level, his age better fits the Browns’ competitive timeline: he is 25 years old and will turn 26 in November.

Garrett, meanwhile, is 30 and will turn 31 in December . He has also dealt with some knee issues during the Rams’ offseason preparation, causing him to miss part of the team’s preseason work. However, Los Angeles confirmed that he will be available for the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.

After a historic 2025 season, in which he set the NFL record with 23 sacks and won his second Defensive Player of the Year award, Garrett has even emerged as a candidate to win the MVP.

Sports Illustrated reporter John Pluym named the new Rams star as his favorite for the league’s top individual honor.

“Myles Garrett will win MVP. There have been only two defensive MVPs in NFL history: Alan Page on the 1971 Vikings and Lawrence Taylor on the 1986 Giants,” Pluym wrote.

“Was there a bigger story this offseason than the Browns trading Garrett to the Rams? No. Garrett is the best player in the league and will finally have the opportunity to play on a winner after several frustrating years in Cleveland. I’m going to predict 25-plus sacks for him this season and a Super Bowl ring.”