Browns Myles Garrett Being Recruited to AFC Contender by Ex-Champ
(Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 26: Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns reacts after a sack against the New England Patriots during the first quarter in the game at Gillette Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
On Sunday, despite the incompetence around him, Browns star Myles Garrett put forth a monster day in which he recorded a career-high five sacks, only the 20th time in NFL history a player has brought down a quarterback that many times in a game. The Browns lost, 32-13, but in the wake of that showing, former Patriots star linebacker Rob Ninkovich had a message for Garrett.
And he delivered it personally. Yes, Ninkovich–who played for eight seasons in New England and won two Super Bowls–messaged Garrett on the sly to get him to push for a trade to the current AFC East leaders.
“How about we go and get a guy who just had five sacks against us?” Ninkovich said on the Boston radio station WEEI. “I slid into his DMs. I said to him, ‘Get to New England, brother, and help this place get back to the championship.’”
Browns Just Gave Out Mega-Contract
Of course, the Browns have been clear about their stance on trading away Garrett, and despite some fever dreams in a variety of places where a star sack-master could be of use, that’s not changing. Garrett just signed a record-setting four-year, $160 million contract in the offseason, a deal that made him the centerpiece of one of the league’s best defenses going forward.
Sure, the Browns could get a massive draft haul for Garrett, with at least two first-round picks, plus, perhaps, a player and a second-day pick coming back to a Cleveland team that needs to rebuild.
Browns Have ‘Zero Chance’ of Trading Away Myles Garrett
But if there is a time when trading Garrett makes sense, it’s not now, when the Browns would be taking on $20 million in dead cap this year, per Sportrac, and $40 million next year.
Cleveland.com beat writer Mary Kay Cabot all but put the nails in the coffin of any potential Garrett trade when she wrote on Wednesday, “There’s ‘zero chance’ of that happening, a league source tells cleveland.com. In fact, it hasn’t been discussed.”
Myles Garrett Admits Frustration
Still, Garrett’s frustration with his team is obvious, and was crystallized on Sunday when he slammed his helmet on the sideline late in the game, then finished the game apart from his teammates, on one knee.
After the game, Garrett was not happy with not being on the field late in the game.
“Frustrated,” he said. “I want to win. No matter how much time is on the clock, they got their starters in, there’s a chance we can win, I want to be a part of that. I don’t care how dire the situation looks. I want to try to make something happen, so I hate coming out in a situation, I hate that kind of inevitability. And not being able to do anything about it.”
Browns Trade Pitch Dumps David Njoku for Draft Capital
Because of the general mediocrity–or even less-than-mediocrity–of the AFC North here in 2025, the Browns are in the odd position of being simultaneously awful offensively, great defensively, just 2-6 record-wise, and still not out of the running to win the division. With the bye week and the NFL trade deadline approaching, Cleveland appears to be at an inflection point on a few different levels.
They need assets for the long term. They need to get better in the short term.
Maybe the best way to accomplish the first without wrecking the second could be a move of tight end David Njoku, a star and a Pro Bowler three years ago who has been worn down by age (29) and a multitude of injuries since he was a first-round pick from Miami in 2017.
With the Browns having found a successor (Harold Fannin Jr.) at his position, trading Njoku in the coming days seems to be as certain a bet as Cleveland can make in the coming days.
Browns David Njoku Could Help Bucs
With that in mind, Heavy’s Max Dible proposes sending Njoku to the NFC, where he could bolster an ailing group of pass-catchers in Tampa Bay, with a third-day pick in 2026 coming back to Cleveland–a fifth-rounder, at best. It’s about all the Browns could hope for in exchange for Njoku at this stage.
Writes Dible: “David Njoku is a competent tight end who can help a high-octane offense in Tampa Bay that needs some more pass-catching due to a handful of injuries to some of its top options, including Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
“The Browns are 2-6 and drafted Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round, who looks like a hit. Njoku probably isn’t coming back after he becomes a free agent next year, so getting a fifth-round pick, or the like, for him now makes more sense than letting him walk for nothing — especially since keeping Njoku for the rest of this season isn’t likely to change Cleveland’s fate.”
Browns Building Up Draft Capital
The Browns, of course, have already been busy on the trade market this season, going back to the draft-day trade of the No. 2 overall pick to the Jaguars for what is looking like an excellent haul–No. 5 pick Mason Graham, second-rounder Quinshon Judkins and Jacksonville’s 2026 first-rounder, currently projected at No. 18 overall.
At the end of training camp, Cleveland also dealt Kenny Pickett for a fifth-round pick.
The Browns swapped a sixth-rounder for a fifth-rounder by sending Joe Flacco to the Bengals, and brought in cornerback Tyson Campbell for CB Greg Newsome, swapping down from a sixth-rounder to a seventh-rounder in that deal.
David Njoku Trade Would Be Costly
Trading Njoku would require the Browns to take on a significant chunk of dead cap next season–a payment of $24 million that does not transfer to his new team. Alternatively, the Browns could give Njoku, an impending free agent, an extension and spread out that payment, though the team is likely more inclined to simply take the lump and move on.
Njoku has 27 catches for 260 yards this season, with two touchdowns for a team that has scored only seven passing touchdowns this season.
At Pro Football Focus, Njoku has a grade of 53.8, No. 63 out of 75 graded tight ends. That’s his worst rating of his career.
