Acme Packing Company
There would be a number of hurdles to a possible Packers acquisition of the superstar pass rusher, however.
The Green Bay Packers’ pass rush was a source of consternation throughout much of the 2024 season. While the defense took a step forward overall under new coordinator Jeff Hafley, getting after the quarterback was one area where the team struggled, despite the front four boasting four former first-round draft picks. The transition from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme played into those issues, but the unit continued to have trouble with the pass rush.
As a result, the Packers will be expected to be in the market for pass-rush help this offseason in any number of acquisition pathways. The team generally prefers to build through the NFL Draft, but signing a veteran free agent also looks plausible, with players like Chase Young and Khalil Mack expected to hit the market.
The third option is to try to land a proven veteran in a trade. While Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders may have been one possibility, his recent comments in support of the hiring of Pete Carroll as the Raiders’ new head coach imply that he is no longer actively looking to leave Las Vegas.
However, one other superstar pass rusher is officially asking out, and he is a player that should draw major interest from around the NFL. That player is Myles Garrett, a four-time first-team All-Pro and the 2023 AP Defensive Player of the Year. Garrett is dissatisfied with his situation with the Cleveland Browns and on Monday, he issued the following statement:
As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever. My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.
While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.
With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.
— Myles Garrett
That is an unequivocal statement from one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers, a player who has posted double-digit sacks in sevens straight seasons and at least 14 sacks in each of the last four. The former #1 overall pick from Texas A&M has only played in three playoff games in his 8 seasons, with the Browns finishing with a winning record on only those two seasons: 2020 and 2023.
Cleveland is coming off a 3-14 season and the team appears to have little hope in the immediate future. The disastrous trade and contract for...
