If Amon-Ra St. Brown gets his wish, the Detroit Lions could be looking to acquire another pass rusher from the Cleveland Browns. But this time, it wouldn’t just be any player — it would be a generational talent.
In the latest episode of the St. Brown Brothers podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother, Equanimeous, the two discussed Browns defensive end Myles Garrett’s trade request.
On Monday, the four-time All-Pro and reigning Defensive Player of the Year publicly revealed his wish to continue his career away from Cleveland.
Although the Browns have stated they have no plans to trade Garrett, speculation about what a deal for the six-time Pro Bowler might look like hasn’t died down.
Uncertain if the Lions are pursuing Garrett, St. Brown pointed out that with Detroit’s defense suffering from multiple injuries last season — including in the playoffs — a player like Garrett could have made a huge impact and could continue to do so for years.
“We were down numbers. We were hurt — a lot of injuries. But yeah, I should probably text Brad and see what they’re thinking about doing,” St. Brown said. “Him and Aidan Hutchinson and Alim (McNeill), D.J. (Reader) and all of our D-line? Bro!
“I swear, if you have a D-line that’s nasty, you don’t need any corners. You don’t need anything. Just play it off.”
As St. Brown explained, Garrett’s addition would significantly improve the Lions’ defense. Since entering the league in 2017, Garrett has recorded double-digit sacks in every season except his rookie year, when he had seven.
Since 2021, he’s posted no fewer than 14 sacks in a season. In 17 games this year, he recorded 47 tackles — including a career-high 22 for loss — plus three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one pass defended.
Equanimeous, weighing in on potential trade logistics, noted that acquiring Garrett would likely require draft picks and a player. When he suggested including Hutchinson in a potential package for Garrett, the younger St. Brown quickly rejected the idea.
“Nah, (expletive) no. Aidan’s not going anywhere,” St. Brown said. “Aidan’s about to get (contractually) locked up in three months. He’s locked — Lions for life.”
Nevertheless, St. Brown continued imagining a scenario where the Lions added another elite pass rusher to their defensive front. He recalled a similar idea from last season involving another AFC star.
“Myles Garrett, Aidan — oh my God. Even during the year, we were thinking (Las Vegas Raiders defensive end) Maxx Crosby and Aidan would be nuts,” St. Brown said. “But I think he’s probably going to be a Raider for life too.”
The St. Brown brothers also talked about another high-profile player currently available: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
The 2021 Triple Crown winner recently shared that the Rams informed him they plan to explore trade options this offseason, ideally sending him to a contender.
Any team acquiring Kupp would inherit his $20 million salary for 2025 and $19.85 million for 2026 unless his contract is restructured.
Limited to 12 games last season due to an ankle injury, Kupp caught 67 passes for 710 yards and six touchdowns. It was also the third consecutive year that injuries prevented him from playing more than 12 games in a season.
Financially, the Lions don’t seem like a likely landing spot unless significant adjustments are made. However, that didn’t stop St. Brown from imagining the 31-year-old receiver in Detroit’s offense — while offering high praise.
“You get him, you’re getting a vet, you’re getting a good locker room guy, smart — probably learns the offense super quick,” St. Brown said. “He gets open, knows how to get open. It’s just — if you’re willing to pay that much money, then I guess. But you already know what you’re getting in Cooper Kupp.
“Imagine we got him. Me, Cooper, Jamo (Jameson Williams), Tim Patrick…”
Before St. Brown could finish listing his fellow Lions starters on offense, Equanimeous interrupted, insisting that the Lions don’t need more offensive weapons and should focus on strengthening the defense.
“You need (expletive) Myles Garrett. You don’t need Cooper Kupp,” Equanimeous said. “You need defense, bro. Your offense is straight. You don’t need more offense.”