Key Bengals know they're not off the hook after Rams' Myles Garrett trade

The Cincinnati Bengals caught a big break when Myles Garrett got traded out of the AFC North from the Browns to the Rams. Protecting Joe Burrow at all costs is vital for Cincinnati's success, and not getting drilled by Garrett twice a year anymore will certainly help that mission.

However, if the Bengals fulfill their lofty aspirations and make it back to the NFL's grand finale, they could easily have a Super Bowl LVI SoFi Stadium rematch with Garrett and his new team.

As long as Aaron Donald doesn't come out retirement, or play anywhere close to his apex level upon his hypothetical return, the Bengals will be better-equipped to block LA's defensive front this time around.

OK. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Bengals need to make the playoffs and rattle off a couple or a few wins before the Big Game. So while Garrett's absence from the division is helpful, Cincinnati's critical Burrow blockers aren't about to ease up on the gas in 2026.

Bengals tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims maintain proper perspective on Myles Garrett trade

Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson reported on the reactions from Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and right tackle Amarius Mims re: the blockbuster Garrett trade.

Suffice it to say these men refuse to rest on their laurels. Brown noted that blocking newly minted Brown/Garrett successor Jared Verse won't be some picnic:

"It doesn't matter. You still have to go win on Sundays. Congrats to Myles. That's how I feel. We still have to go win...(Verse) is a young player who is also a great player. Very talented. I have a lot of respect for his game."

As for Mims, well, despite the fact that he's only entering his third year as a pro, the 2024 first-round pick knows divisional matchups are an absolute brawl no matter who he's lined up against. Mims went out of his way to praise Verse, too:

"It's the hardest division anywhere, whether it's Myles Garrett or Jared Verse...Both great players. Both have been to the Pro Bowl. Verse has been every year he's been in the league. We came in together. A great player. You've got to block both of them at the end of the day."

Cleveland got a massive haul in exchange for Garrett when you consider Verse is in the conversation with Brock Bowers as the best non-quarterback first-rounder from that 2024 draft. Like imagine if the Browns could've given up their first selection from two years ago (No. 54) to move up to No. 19 for the rights to Verse. That'd cost a pretty penny. Multiple first-round picks and more, methinks.

Verse is only entering his third season and is already an exceptional, established player. The difference is, Garrett is a surefire Hall of Famer, single-season sack record-holder, and the defending Defensive Player of the Year.

Garrett is a far better finisher as well (10.3% career missed tackle rate), though Verse (22.6%) still has plenty of runway to improve in that department.

Scary to think Verse has that much more potential to realize if he can just find a way to get guys to the ground on a more consistent basis. All the tools are there for him to be a perennial All-Pro.

Then again, if Verse holds true to his typical alignment on the left side of the defense, he should face Mims more often than not, and Mims is a rapidly ascending player in his own right. We'll see how Cleveland chooses to deploy Verse. Feels like he's have more success versus Brown in the bigger picture.

The main point here is that the Bengals really do seem to have a championship mindset. They're embracing Verse's arrival to the division and appear determined to do all they can to halt his extremely promising trajectory.

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