Myles Garrett wanted a Super Bowl shot, and he will now be forced to sacrifice a small fortune to do so.
The newly acquired Los Angeles Rams star finally joined the contender he was chasing after waiving his no-trade clause and leaving the Cleveland Browns in a blockbuster deal. But while Garrett is gaining championship odds, he’s also getting an unwelcome introduction to California’s tax code.
Garrett could lose nearly $3 million in additional state taxes after moving from Ohio to California, according to NBC Sports.
That’s because Ohio’s top state income tax rate sits at roughly 3.1%, while California’s notorious top rate reaches 13.3%; the highest in the nation. The difference becomes especially painful when applied to Garrett’s massive $29.2 million option bonus, which is now due shortly before the start of the regular season.
In total, the Rams star could end up paying roughly $23 million in California state taxes compared to just $5.6 million over the remainder of his $179 million contract. That’s on top of the nearly $3 million hit tied to his delayed option bonus, making his move to the Rams a championship chase that could ultimately cost him more than $18 million before all is said and done.
And this is before a possible contract renegotiation, which could reset the edge rusher market. Texans defensive end Will Anderson is currently the top paid player at the position, making an average of $50 million per year.
Of course, Garrett knew what he was signing up for.
The 30-year-old made it clear during his introductory Rams press conference that winning was the priority.
“Since the very beginning, it’s always been about winning,” Garrett said. “To have an opportunity to do that immediately … it was an opportunity that was too difficult to pass up.”
The Rams extended top Super Bowl odds after acquiring Garrett to headline a defense that hopes to recreate the Aaron Donald era and bring another championship to Los Angeles.
Garrett’s taxing plight echoes that of Super Bowl-winning Sam Darnold — the Seahawks quarterback lost out on more than the $178,000 he earned for helping lift Seattle to a 29–13 victory over the Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara — landing himself a $249,000 tax bill.
In contrast, Major League Baseball star Merrill Kelly stands to pocket nearly $2.5 million more per year over the next two seasons of his $40 million deal by signing in Arizona instead of California for the Padres — even though he was likely offered more cash by the San Diego team.
The irony? Garrett spent years trying to escape one of the NFL’s worst situations. He finally got his ticket out of Cleveland, only to watch California take a potential eight-figure bite out of his future earnings.
