Falcons Trading for Browns' Myles Garrett Deemed 'Unlikely'

The Atlanta Falcons have long been a black hole for pass rushers, be it draftees Vic Beasley or Takk McKinley, or high-profile veteran acquisitions in Dante Fowler Jr. and Matthew Judon.

Perhaps Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett changes it.

According to ESPN, the Falcons are an unlikely trade option for Garrett, who requested out of Cleveland on Feb. 3, but Atlanta is still a "plausible" landing spot and should have a conversation about the standout pass rusher.

"This would be a move a decade in the making, as the Falcons have spent years trying to find an impactful edge rusher," wrote ESPN's Bill Barnell. "The only issue for the Falcons is cap space. They're $8.6 million over the projected cap line for 2025 and would need to create another hole on their offensive or defensive line to free up room."

The 29-year-old Garrett, who's been an All-Pro five straight years and won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, recorded 14 sacks and a league-high 22 tackles for loss while starting all 17 games in 2024.

Garrett has two years left on the five-year, $125 million contract he signed in 2020, and according to NFL.com, he carries cap hits of $19.7 million and $20.4 million in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Atlanta has several financial issues to address, including that of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will receive $27.5 million guaranteed in 2025 and figures to be playing elsewhere. His cap hit goes to $37.5 million if he's still on the roster March 17.

In essence, the Falcons' hopes of trading Cousins will likely prove unfruitful, as Barnwell noted there won't be a team eager to absorb his salary.

The Browns, however, make sense, as head coach Kevin Stefanski coached Cousins from 2018-19 with the Minnesota Vikings, and Cleveland has a glaring need under center.

Still, the move could prove troublesome for the Falcons from a financial perspective.

"Garrett only has a $1.3 million base salary this season," Barnwell wrote, "but could the Falcons afford to pay and trade Cousins, acquire Garrett, give him a new extension and stay plausibly cap-compliant?"

Only time will tell -- but on paper, as Barnwell initially listed, the Falcons are an unlikely destination for Garrett's services.