Former Pittsburgh Steelers legend and Super Bowl champion Kimo von Oelhoffen considers himself fortunate to have played against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Municipal Stadium for the final time before the franchise left for Baltimore. Von Oelhoffen was in the second season of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals when the Browns defeated them 26-10 in a Week 16 matchup during the 1995 season.

During a recent interview with Ozoon, von Oelhoffen recalled experiencing the intensity of Browns fans during one of the most emotionally charged periods in the franchise’s history. “The passion with the Cleveland Browns fans, you felt it. And it could get hostile,” he admitted. Despite spending most of his NFL career as a Cleveland rival, von Oelhoffen has since developed an affection for the franchise.

Earlier this offseason, the Browns traded Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, just a year after signing the defensive star to a multi-year contract extension. During his conversation with Ozoon, von Oelhoffen was asked how he would feel about Garrett leaving the franchise if he were a Browns fan. The former Steelers defensive tackle had a telling response.

“How do I feel about the Browns committing so much to Myles Garrett last only to trade him a year later? You know, that’s a tough situation,” he said. “Myles is a great player. His impact on the game has always (been) felt. You know, as a Cleveland Browns fan, I love Cleveland. I think I would probably be disappointed.”

Cleveland traded Myles Garrett to the Rams in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick, while also acquiring Jared Verse. However, the trade came a year after the franchise had signed Garrett on a four-year deal.

Following the 2024 season, when the Browns finished 3-14, Garrett demanded a trade. His primary concern was winning a Super Bowl, rather than simply securing a bigger contract. Evidently, the veteran edge rusher had endured five double-digit losing seasons in his nine-year tenure with the Browns. At the end of the 2024 season, Garrett didn’t shy away from expressing his frustration with the franchise.

“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever,” he wrote in a social media post. “My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.

“While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”

But just a few weeks after demanding a trade, Myles Garrett decided to stay in Cleveland. Ahead of the 2025 season, the Browns signed Garrett to a four-year, $160 million contract extension that includes $123.5 million guaranteed. In 2025, Garrett didn’t just justify the investment. He produced a historic season.

He finished the season with 23 sacks, breaking the previous single-season sack record held by Michael Strahan and TJ Watt. He became the AP Defensive Player of the Year for 2025, marking his second honor in his NFL career. He recorded at least 10 sacks in eight consecutive seasons, from 2018 through 2025.

Still, the Browns struggled to win and finished the season 5-12. At the same time, Cleveland went 8-26 across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, despite Myles Garrett posting up historic numbers. However, a trade scenario wasn’t in the picture at that time either.

In fact, the Browns modified his contract in March 2026, pushing his option bonuses in 2026, 2027, and 2028 back from March to shortly before the regular season.

As that happened, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported that, despite modifying his contract, the Browns are “adamant” that they are not trading Garrett. A few weeks later, however, the Rams presented an opportunity, prompting the Browns to trade Garrett in exchange for draft capital and Verse.

“When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position, but as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: do we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?” General manager Andrew Berry said after the trade.

“In that framework, the decision became clear, although our emotions were muddled. We, and more importantly, our fans, have grown up with Myles, and he’s an enormous source of pride for our team. However, as we embark on a new era of Browns football with a young core and a replenished asset base, we felt this move was important to our transition.”

But even before the trade was finalized, there were signs that the relationship and circumstances between Garrett and the Browns were changing. Garrett wasn’t present at Cleveland’s voluntary offseason workouts. At the same time, head coach Todd Monken admitted that he hadn’t had a face-to-face meeting with Garrett since being hired in late January.

Meanwhile, Garrett had supported defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz becoming the Browns’ head coach, but Cleveland hired Monken instead. Eventually, Myles Garrett parted ways with the team after spending nine years in Cleveland.

However, his Rams stint didn’t start on a positive note as Garrett was placed on injured reserve in preparation for arthroscopic surgery on his knee. For now, the Rams sit 4-4 after the first eight games of the season, but Garrett has struggled to make his presence felt in LA.