The Los Angeles Rams sent shockwaves across the NFL on Monday when they acquired two-time and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.
The move amplifies the Rams' all-in approach to win at least one more Super Bowl with MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford before handing the keys to the franchise to first-round pick Ty Simpson.
It's an approach many Detroit Lions fans want to see out of their team, and the fact that the Rams acquired an EDGE that fans dreamed of pairing with Aidan Hutchinson only intensified their ire.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell wasn't having any of that when asked about the Garrett trade in his presser on Thursday, sarcastically saying, "Yeah, I mean, good for them. They've won it now, right?"
Campbell complimented both Garrett and Jared Verse, the latter of whom was sent to the Browns in the deal, but had little else to say beyond that, adding, "That was what (the Rams) felt they needed to do, and good for them, man."
It was a response befitting of an NFL head coach, understanding that the games still have to get played. It also continues the 2026 Lions' "strictly business" theme by focusing on what they have and can control.
The Rams have accomplished nothing in the 2026 season other than generating understandable hype. They absolutely could dominate their way to the Super Bowl, but they also share a division with the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Their aging QB is also another year older and, as Detroit fans know all too well, the wheels can always come off for one reason or another.
But it's tough to argue that this doesn't make the Lions' road to a Super Bowl tougher than before. The Lions don't have the Rams on their schedule for 2026, but the Rams could be waiting for them in the NFC Championship game with the chance to play in Super Bowl LXI. Even before then, the Garrett trade could be the difference between whether or not that NFC title game is in Detroit or Los Angeles, per seeding.
Regardless of where and when that hypothetical game is played, if it does happen, the Lions will have to hope their new-look offensive line can handle this frightening Rams' defensive line. Especially if legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald comes out of retirement and rejoins them.
If they can't, questions will come to a boil over why the Lions didn't make a similar move this offseason and if they would ever do so.
Would the Lions ever make a similar splashy move?
In a follow-up question, the Micah Parsons trade from a year ago was brought up in conjunction with the Garrett trade. Those trades were contrasted with the way the Lions built and developed through the draft and re-signings. Campbell was asked what it would take for the Lions to enter "the high-end trade market."
"Well, I guess, I would tell you when that time happens," Campbell said.
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For fans eager for the Lions, or any Detroit sports team for that matter, to make a big win-now acquisition, Campbell's response is a frustrating par for the course. But unlike recent years, the Lions do have a decent reason to be patient after trading up to draft EDGE Derrick Moore in the second round. He could be that long-desired Hutchinson help, developing into an elite pass rusher like other past non-first-rounders like Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson.
Yes, as a rookie, Moore likely won't reach that level this year. He probably won't provide the immediate impact that Garrett, Crosby, or Hendrickson would have. At the same time, champions aren't crowned in June, either, so it could be Campbell and Brad Holmes who get the last laugh come February.
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