Myles Garrett’s contract is a bargain for the Los Angeles Rams, and it could get even better
Whenever you trade for a star player, the contract often needs adjustment, and they might want to address it for Myles Garrett.
The Los Angeles Rams are going hard toward another Super Bowl, and are doing so with another “F Them Picks” trade, this time acquiring Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett.
It’s a massive move for both the Rams and the Browns, shifting power in the NFC even more toward Los Angeles. They lost the NFC Championship Game by just three points to the Seattle Seahawks, and have made a concerted effort to improve the roster, and Garrett certainly does just that for the Rams.
Myles Garrett has a fascinating contract
In order to understand how the trade impacts the Rams, it’s not just about the player and lost draft pick compensation. The contract has a major impact on both Garrett and what the Rams can do. Over The Cap has it broken down nicely.
When you look at his contract as a whole, it’s rooted in option bonuses. That structure makes it easy to spread out the salary cap hit over the duration of the contract. It’s also the majority of the money in his contract
| Year | Option Bonus |
| 2026 | $29.2 million |
| 2027 | $39,358,875 |
| 2028 | $21,406,125 |
| 2029 | $20 million |
| 2030 | $15 million |
| Total | $124,965,000 |
That is a massive amount of money for Garrett, but he’s also well worth it. The four-year extension that he signed in the summer of 2025 hasn’t technically kicked in yet, with Garrett having five years left on his deal.
These massive amounts of money lead to really good cap hits over the first three years of the deal, but the salary cap hits spike over $40 million in the 2029 season. That could lead the Rams to bring Garrett back to the negotiation table to maneuver with how the cash flows.
With this narrow window the Rams have with Matthew Stafford under contract, Garrett having those small cap hits before Ty Simpson theoretically takes over is smart business. Maximize the window they have to win a Super Bowl quickly.
Right now, Garrett is is going to be a massive value for the Rams, and they could make it even better with a renegotiation.