Getty Pass rusher Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.
The Chicago Bears have a cache of draft picks over the next couple of years, which can put them in the game for the NFL’s most recently disgruntled superstar.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, officially asked out on Monday, February 3. Odds on Garrett’s next team dropped almost immediately, with Bet Online Sportsbook listing six teams with odds between +400 and +900 as his most likely landing spots.
Chicago was not among the top six based on those particular projections, coming in at +2000. However, the Bears own three draft picks inside the top 41 this year (Nos. 10, 39, 41) as well as all of their own picks in rounds 1-7 in 2026.
The franchise must address its weaknesses on the offensive line, particularly on the interior, though adding a second high-level pass rusher to the defense is also high on the list of priorities.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry held firm Monday, reiterating that the team does not plan to honor Garret’s request. That came after he stated last week that Cleveland wouldn’t entertain an offer of two first-round picks for the 29-year-old Garrett, who boasts 102.5 career sacks.
That said, performers of Garrett’s caliber have grown more influential during the current player empowerment era across sports, and there are ways he can make football life even more miserable in Cleveland than it already is. As such, if a team with the assets Chicago has comes with an over the top offer of at least two first-rounders and then some, the Browns would be foolish not to listen.
Bears Have Draft Capital, Money Necessary to Make Myles Garrett Deal Happen if Browns Are Willing
GettyCleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
What it might take from the Bears’ side of the equation to land Garrett may include first-rounders in both 2025 and 2026, as well as one of the team’s second-round picks this year. However, that might not be too steep of a price to pay considering the roster construction.
Garrett has two years remaining on his current $125 million deal, but the base salaries in each of the next two years are less than $2 million. Furthermore, Chicago wouldn’t consider trading for such a player without knowing it can sign him to a contract extension. Doing so would allow the Bears front office to structure the new deal in whatever manner they wish to maximize financial flexibility in the years moving forward.
The Bears also have nearly $70 million in available 2025 salary cap space with a little more than a month until free agency, so absorbing Garrett wouldn’t be overly onerous nor would it limit the team’s pursuit of upgrades along the offensive line.
Bears Can Trade for Myles Garrett, Still Acquire Trey Smith in Free Agency
GettyOffensive guard Trey Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs.
In this hypothetical deal, the Bears would retain an early second-round pick in 2025, which they can use to draft a starting offensive guard. Several NFL insiders have also linked Chicago to the pursuit of Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith, as he will be a free agent next month.
If the Bears could trade for Garrett, sign Smith and use this year’s remaining second-round pick on a quality rookie to start opposite Smith at guard, then the team will have addressed its biggest needs without bankrupting its cap space or its medium-term draft capital.
Chicago shored up the quarterback and wide receiver positions over the past couple offseasons and would only need to look at the secondary as a meaningful source of concern heading into the later rounds of this year’s draft.
