The 49ers have been trying to find a pass rusher to play opposite Nick Bosa for several seasons, and Myles Garrett would be a perfect fit.
Making the pairing a reality will be tough to complete and come at a hefty cost, one the 49ers might not be willing to pay.
The Cleveland Browns All-Pro defensive end requested a trade on Monday, releasing a statement to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Breaking: Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Browns star Myles Garrett has requested a trade. Exclusive statement:
— Ian Rapoport (@rapsheet1.bsky.social) February 3, 2025 at 8:13 AM
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"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," Garrett wrote. "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."
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco's president of football operations/general manager John Lynch likely is doing his due diligence in inquiring about the possibility.
The 49ers have 10 picks in April's 2025 NFL Draft, including the No. 11 overall pick. While the Browns are standing firm on refusing to trade away their top player, stranger things have happened.
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More than likely, it would cost the 49ers multiple first-round draft picks but the reward would be an immediate increase in production from the defensive line.
Garrett has two years left on a five-year, $125 million extension signed in 2020, which comes with salary-cap hits of $19.7 million in 2025 and $20.4 million the following season. He also is set to receive a roster bonus worth $5 million on March 16 — the fifth day of the new league year.
Garrett is a premier pass rusher with four First-Team All-Pro seasons and six Pro Bowl nods over his eight NFL campaigns. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft has racked up 102.5 career quarterback sacks, 200 quarterback hits, 116 tackles for a loss and 20 forced fumbles.
The 49ers' best attempt to find a pass rusher to play opposite Bosa was during his rookie season when they traded a second-round draft pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for Dee Ford, who was coming off his first career Pro Bowl selection.
Ford registered 6.5 sacks in 2019, his first year in San Francisco. Unfortunately for the 49ers, Ford suffered a neck and back injury that limited him to seven games over the next two seasons and he was released before the 2022 season.
Playing opposite of current Indianapolis Colts edge rusher Samson Ebukam in 2022 helped Bosa lead the NFL with 18.5 sacks and win 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Having Garrett line up opposite Bosa instantly would turn the 49ers' pass rush into a quarterback's worst nightmare, helping the unit return to the dominant power it has been known for.
The 49ers are unlikely to sacrifice multiple first-round draft picks for Garrett. Still, there's no doubt that Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan and newly re-hired defensive coordinator Robert Saleh are imagining ways it could become a possibility.