The Seahawks will now have to face Myles Garrett twice after the Los Angeles Rams traded for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
The Seattle Seahawks' path toward back-to-back NFC West titles just got considerably tougher, and maybe even impossible.
Why? Because the Los Angeles Rams made the decision to trade for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
The Rams gave up rising star Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick to acquire Garrett, per Ian Rapoport, in what is a move that not only shakes up the NFC West but the NFL.
The Seahawks already faced a tough time in the division with the Rams adding Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Warren this offseason, and now, adding Garrett, L.A. looks formidable.
And for Seattle Sports' Bump and Stacy producer Curtis Rodgers, he thinks that the scales have now tilted towards the Rams in 2026.
“That’s an earthquake-level move here in the NFC West,” said Rodgers. “The trade for Trent McDuffie, that was a nice trade that the Rams made, but I don’t think tilted anything in their favor in terms of the NFC (or) the NFC West.
"It just felt like it was still the Seahawks running things. But this one, I mean, it’s Myles Garrett. … That is a trade that could very much shift things toward the Rams’ favor.”
Now, the Seahawks will face Garrett twice in the regular season, and maybe a third time if the two teams meet in the playoffs.
How are the Seahawks feeling about that offensive line now?
Anthony Bradford remains a big question mark, and then we have rookie Beau Stephens, who could potentially take his spot, but neither is who you want going against Garrett.
So, Brian Fleury will have his work cut out to devise a plan to halt Garrett and the Rams' pass rush in 2026, as it has the potential to seriously impact the entire season for the Seahawks.
The NFC West gauntlet was always going to be tough, as the Seahawks had to face the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, but now, when adding Garrett into the equation, the division has gotten a monster shake-up.
Of course, Garrett in L.A. doesn't automatically make them NFC West champs in 2026, but it certainly makes Seattle's job to repeat that much more difficult.
