The Myles Garrett sweepstakes are expected to heat up with the offseason underway, and the superstar pass rusher asking for a trade from Cleveland.
The Green Bay Packers fit the description of a team that could be a serious player for Garrett, given their desperate need for an edge rusher and that they’re a contender.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell agrees on the Packers being a match but suggests that general manager Brian Gutekunst would have to “break his own rules” to get Garrett.
Barnwell put each team into a tier based on how likely he believes it would be for them to acquire Garrett.
The Packers fell into the “Unlikely but Plausible: Teams that should have a Garrett conversation” category.
Barnwell hit the nail on the head in explaining why Green Bay ended up where they did.
It would be out of character for general manager Brian Gutekunst to go after any sort of veteran player at this point of their careers. Over the past few seasons, he has rebuilt the Packers into the league’s youngest team while focusing heavily on the draft.
Garrett is 29 and likely on the back end of his prime. However, he’s still producing at an All-Pro level and likely will for at least a couple more seasons.
On one end, he’s exactly what the Packers need. On the other, Gutekunst typically shies away from players he’s at that point in their career. When you tack on that he’ll command a new contract and cost a hefty draft pick package as compensation, it’s hard to imagine it coming to fruition in Green Bay.
Garrett isn’t just your average pass rusher, though.
He has missed two games in the last four seasons. He’s racked up no less than 14 sacks each season, led the league this past year in tackles for loss, and has a Defensive Player of the Year Award on his resume (2023).
Garrett is a game wrecker on the highest level.
While Barnwell noted it would be out of character for Gutekunst to go all-in on such a move, he didn’t completely rule it out.
This is the same organization that signed Reggie White as a 31-year-old and saw the Hall of Fame edge rusher rack up 68.5 sacks over six seasons. Green Bay signed Charles Woodson as a 29-year-old and got four Pro Bowl appearances and two first-team All-Pro nods out of the defensive back. Both those players were free agents as opposed to trade additions, which makes this deal less likely, but Garrett might be the sort of player who would cause Gutekunst to break his rules.
Sometimes it’s worth going outside your comfort zone to accomplish something with immense potential.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley already has this defense humming on so many levels. Adding Garrett could very well push things over the top.
Green Bay has shown there are exceptions to its own rules in the past. Ron Wolf did so when he signed Reggie White in 1993. Ted Thompson left his comfort zone when he signed Charles Woodson in 2006. This could be Gutekunst’s opportunity to do the same.
