The Carolina Panthers are in desperate need for a pass rusher, and it just so happens that the very best one on the planet is now trying to make himself available.
On Monday morning, defensive end Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. The 2023 AP Defensive Player of the Year and four-time first-team All-Pro—fresh off his sixth Pro Bowl appearance from this past weekend—issued the following statement through league reporters:
Breaking: Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and #Browns star Myles Garrett has requested a trade.
Exclusive statement: pic.twitter.com/LgS5YCeCnP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 3, 2025
The Browns, who have reportedly known of Garrett’s request for “some time,” still don’t seem prepared to part with their premier pass rusher. According to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo, the organization is not intent on having any conversations regarding a trade.
But . . . what if they eventually are?
What if Garrett and his people manage to push their way out of Cleveland?
And if they do, should Carolina be a possible destination?
Well, Garrett would be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Panthers’ feeble pass rush—one that mustered up the very lowest pressure rate (16.2 percent) and third-fewest sacks (32) of 2024.
Plus, if you could literally steal any one player in football and drop him right onto Carolina’s roster, he’d probably be the choice.
The Panthers, however, aren’t in a position to add any one player.
Landing the 29-year-old star—who may be the closest thing we’ve seen to Hall of Famer/North Carolina native/franchise legend—is undoubtedly an exciting prospect. The Panthers are seemingly on the rise, and adding the sport’s top defender to the mix would provide one heck of a spark.
That spark, though, could prove to be a fleeting gamble in the big picture.
Acquiring Garrett means you’d be giving up a king’s ransom of high-end draft picks. By comparison, a 27-year-old Khalil Mack, a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick were shipped off to the Chicago Bears back in 2018 for two firsts, a third and a sixth.
Carolina already made that type of move less than two years ago for the rights to quarterback Bryce Young, and they’ll still be feeling the effects of it in this year’s draft. Plus, trading for picks—not trading away picks—is how general manager Dan Morgan has operated, especially in a rebuild.
As good as the former No. 1 overall pick is, the Panthers are more than just a Myles Garrett away. They have holes on every level of their defense, which will be even more difficult to fill with the depleted chest of draft capital a blockbuster trade would result in.
Oh, and let’s not forget what Garrett himself wants.
If you haven’t already, make sure you read all the fine print from his statement. Garrett writes that he wants to win a Super Bowl.
Teams such as the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders will likely ready to line up for Garrett’s services if this drama continues to unfold. The Panthers, on the other hand, may have an easier time coaxing Julius Peppers out of retirement than convincing anyone that they’re an actual contender in 2025.
Simply put, they’re still quite a few miles away.