If you didn’t already think the Los Angeles Rams were going all-in for a Super Bowl in 2026, they made it clear that’s the case on Monday. Now, Colin Cowherd doesn’t think anyone is on the same tier as the Rams ahead of the new season.
Following the Rams’ trade for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, Cowherd crowned them as the clear Super Bowl favorite even though they gave up two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for Garrett.
“Myles Garrett to me is worth making this move,” Cowherd said. “You give up a first-rounder and Jared Verse. Now, the other thing to remember is that when the Rams took a quarterback, everybody was like, ‘Whoa,’ well, now you see why, because they’ve been in discussions with Cleveland with Myles Garrett.
“It all makes sense now, right?” Cowherd added. “All the critics [were] like, oh, they’ll get Ty Simpson in-house for two years, [he] does not have to play now. They get Trent McDuffie with a first-round pick and now Myles Garrett and they will be an overwhelming Super Bowl favorite.”
Myles Garrett to be traded to Rams for Jared Verse, 2027 1st-round pick
Garrett is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive players, fresh off his second Defensive Player of the Year award. A multiple-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro selection, he also became the first reigning Defensive Player of the Year winner in league history to be traded, getting moved after he set the NFL’s single-season all-time sacks record.
As players like Garrett rarely get moved, Cowherd made another big statement about the player the Rams got.
“He is, and I’ve said this 10 times on this show, take out Lawrence Taylor and that’s the best rush edge I’ve ever seen in my life,” Cowherd said. “Myles Garrett and Lawrence Taylor are the best I’ve ever seen.”
The move signals a clear win-now push from Los Angeles as they look to maximize their current Super Bowl window. It also instantly transforms their pass rush into one of the most feared units in the league, with Garrett already on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
And while it’ll be tough for Garrett to match the 23 sacks he recorded last year, it’s evident that he’s still got some strong seasons ahead of him. He’s logged at least 14 sacks in each of the last five years, and his tackles for loss (33 in 2025) have increased over the last two seasons.
“Myles Garrett, shockingly, is only 30 years old,” Cowherd said. “[Jared] Verse is already 25, which it seems like Garrett’s been in the league forever. He is right now in the middle of his peak years.
Cowherd framed the deal as a rare win-now gamble that prioritizes elite talent over draft capital. In his view, it also helps justify the Rams’ decision to take Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick, a move that was widely scrutinized.
“They don’t have a first-round pick,” Cowherd said. “Let me ask you: do you think it’s worth it to draft Ty Simpson now and have Ty Simpson in-house for a year or two with Matt Stafford and not have Myles Garrett? I mean, you tell me, what are the options? I’m going to go with it.”
Outside of the Rams’ side of the deal, Cowherd also sees positives for the Browns. Verse may not be Garrett, but he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season and is a player Cowherd believes could develop into a star.
“You get your next Myles Garrett, Maybe not, [Verse is] 75- 80% [of the player Garret] is. Verse is a good player from Ohio, 25 years old, going into his prime,” Cowherd said. “You’ll have him. He’s not getting paid a ton yet. The Rams now have the MVP in Matt Stafford and the Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett.”
Cowherd made it sound like this wasn’t just a big swing but a calculated move the Rams have been setting up for a while.
“But oh, they reached on Ty Simpson at quarterback,” Cowherd said. “[This was] all part of the plan.”
