LOS ANGELES -- While trading for Myles Garrett wasn't a quick process, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said the team wanted to be "aggressive" in pursuit of the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year because of how "rare" of an opportunity it was.
On Monday, the Rams and Cleveland Browns announced a deal that sent Garrett to Los Angeles in exchange for outside linebacker Jared Verse, a first-round draft pick in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2029.
"We feel really fortunate that this feels very similar when we were fortunate enough to be able to acquire a player like Matthew Stafford," McVay said during Garrett's introductory news conference Tuesday. "Things like this don't present themselves and we wanted to be aggressive."
The Rams traded for Stafford in 2021, sending quarterback Jared Goff to the Lions as part of the package to acquire the veteran quarterback.
McVay was also asked about the possibility of defensive tackle Aaron Donald coming out of retirement to play with Garrett. Earlier in the day, ESPN's Pat McAfee said on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he texted Donald about the possibility. Donald replied, according to McAfee, "It for sure got me thinking." Donald retired in 2024 after 10 NFL seasons.
McVay said he'd welcome back the future Hall of Famer, but the decision is ultimately up to him.
"Aaron's a guy that I stay really close in touch with and I know the respect that he has for Myles," McVay said. "Talked to him about the opportunity to be able to bring him on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip."
Garrett, meanwhile, said he found out that the trade was "even a possibility" about a week ago and said the news was a "surprise." Garrett had a no-trade clause in his contract and said the decision about whether to waive it to be traded to Los Angeles was one he had to "sleep on."
"I don't take my time in Cleveland for granted," Garrett said. "I did love being there. ... It tears at you to leave and to break away, but that's just a part of the things you learn and have to adjust to as you grow up and learn you have to move on."
Garrett said that "since the very beginning, it's always been about winning."
"And it just breaks down to the timing of everything," Garrett said. "What does it realistically look like to be a winner now? And to have an opportunity to do that immediately, that was an opportunity that was just too difficult to pass up. And I always have love in my heart for Cleveland the city, the community and all the players and everything else. But the opportunity to come here, have an immediate and profound impact on this team, it was something I just had to move forward with."
McVay said the "hardest part" of the trade was including Verse, who was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season. Rams general manager Les Snead said the Rams initially tried to trade for Garrett by sending only draft picks back to Cleveland.
On Tuesday, Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters that he did not seriously consider trading Garrett until Verse was included in the return. McVay said he was "impressed" by the way Verse handled the conversation that he was being traded.
Garrett, McVay and Snead held the news conference after the second week of Phase 3 of the Rams' organized team activities. Garrett was not on the field for the Rams on Tuesday, and when asked when that would happen, he said, "You'll just have to wait and see."
When he is out on the field, he will be wearing No. 95, which formally belonged to nose tackle Poona Ford. Garrett said he and Ford had a conversation about the number, before McVay interjected -- "a conversation and a couple bucks?"
"Maybe more than a couple," Garrett said with a laugh.
Garrett is coming off a 23-sack season, the most by any player in a season since 1982, when individual sacks became official.
