Cleveland Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett has requested a trade. Could the Indianapolis Colts be a potential landing spot for him?
Zac Jackson of The Athletic recently put together a list of 10 teams that would make sense for Garrett, and included were the Colts.
So what would the Colts have to part with in order to land Garrett?
In The Athletic’s hypothetical trade scenario, Indianapolis would send their 2025 first-round pick, their 2026 first-round pick, and defensive end Kwity Paye to Cleveland.
“Colts general manager Chris Ballard said during his season-ending news conference that he wouldn’t mortgage the team’s future out of desperation. Garrett, a four-time first-team All-Pro, is the kind of player who could make him reconsider his offseason approach.,” wrote James Boyd, the Colts beat writer for The Athletic.
“Parting ways with two first-round picks is no easy task, but for a franchise that’s often been mired in mediocrity, Garrett could be a key piece that pushes Indy back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.”
Garrett is a game-changing player. He’s a four-time All-Pro, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, he was top three in quarterback pressures during the 2024 season, and he’s still just 29 years old at a position where players can be highly productive well into their 30s.
The Colts’ pass rush, meanwhile, took a step back last season production-wise, ranking 22nd in pressure rate and 26th in sacks, although in part, that was a product of opponents utilizing the quick passing game against Gus Bradley’s soft zone defense.
There is no doubt that Garrett would make the Colts a better team and he’s that good that he could help them get over that playoff hump.
However, after an 8-9 season and missing out on the playoffs for the four straight year, Indianapolis is also more than just an elite pass rusher away from being a true contender.
There are a lot of positions that need to be added to and the ability to do that is lessened when without two first round picks, along with the salary cap space that would be needed to take on Garrett’s current contract–which comes with a nearly $20 million cap hit in 2025–and the likely contract extension that would have to follow.
“Right now, we’re not close,” said Ballard during his season-ending press conference. “I’m going to make this really clear. Like close is losing on the last play of the Super Bowl. That’s close. Going 8-9, that’s not close. No. I’m not saying we won’t be closer when we get to the start of the season, but right now sitting here today, we’re an 8-9 football team and we’ve got to own that.
“We are not good enough. We’re not, and we’ve got to be able to address and identify the right avenues to acquire the right players that can move the needle – and have not done that in the last four years.”
Parting with premium draft capital to bring in an outside addition would very much be against the norm for GM Chris Ballard. In what is a make or break year for this Colts team under his guidance, could the pendulum swing in the other direction as he goes for a home run addition?
It’s not something I would expect.
