The Los Angeles Rams had high hopes of building an NFL superteam for the 2026 season, but things haven’t gone according to plan. Sitting at 2-4 and last in the NFC West, the Rams are struggling to find their footing.
Star defensive end Myles Garrett has also been sidelined by a knee injury. He underwent arthroscopic surgery in mid-September, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Garrett is likely to return to practice as early as Week 8.
Amid the team’s struggles, Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter has started questioning the trade that brought Garrett to Los Angeles, suggesting the Cleveland Browns may have known more than they let on.
Cris Carter Questions Browns’ Decision to Trade Myles Garrett
The Browns traded Garrett to the Rams on June 1, 2026, in exchange for defensive end Jared Verse and three future draft picks. The package included a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick.
Garrett played just 40 snaps in his Rams debut against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. He recorded no tackles and was limited during the game while dealing with a knee issue. The injury eventually required surgery, with reports later indicating that it had bothered him since training camp.
Speaking on “Insider Football,” Carter questioned whether Cleveland had concerns about Garrett’s condition before agreeing to the trade.
“This is the thing that’s surprising about the Cleveland question because I believe that Cleveland knew something,” Carter declared. “I mean, Myles Garrett didn’t practice at all during training camp. You think somebody in that building might have known about that knee before they orchestrated that trade because, I mean, he never got on the field.”
Garrett was limited for much of training camp because of his knee, but he did practice. The Rams reported that he participated in team drills on the first day of camp, and he later worked on a maintenance schedule after developing knee soreness.
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Carter also praised the Browns’ front office for making smart moves and taking advantage of other teams’ situations.
“They’re trading players who are injured, and they’re getting the value. They won the deal. They ran a scam on somebody. And then they [started] a quarterback that nobody wanted to [start], and they now find themselves in first place. Different things are going on in Cleveland now,” Carter added.
While the Rams have dealt with injuries, the Browns have made an impressive start to the season. Cleveland is 4-2 and sits atop the AFC North.
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Quarterback Deshaun Watson has also helped stabilize the offense since returning from Achilles surgery. As Carter pointed out, there were a lot of doubts about whether Watson should start, and the quarterback even faced heavy boos from Cleveland’s home fans during the preseason.
Through six games, Watson has thrown for 1,174 yards and seven touchdowns with just two interceptions. He ranks No. 25 in the league with a PFN QB Impact Score of 68.4.
Cleveland will look to maintain its division lead against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7, while Los Angeles faces growing pressure to get its season back on track when they go up against the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.