Myles Garrett just got traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams, a move he had been hoping for since last year, after he had officially requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. But the reigning DPOY’s arrival in reigning MVP Matthew Stafford’s team comes with too high a price. If Myles Garrett wants to play in California, it will cost him nearly $3 million.

“As he prepares to move from Ohio to California, he’s looking at an increase in his top tax rate from 3.125 percent to 13.3 percent,” writes Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “For his option bonus, which is now due to be paid by seven days before the start of the regular season, it’s a difference of more than 10 percent of the total amount. Which is more than $2.9 million that will otherwise be missing from his after-tax payment.”

This is the ‘jock tax’ at work. California taxes professional athletes for every day they work in the state, be it practice, meetings, film, or pressers. IT calculates duty days against a player’s total annual duty days, then claims that percentage of salary. Players moving there full-time pay even more, because California’s top income tax rate is 13.3%, the highest in the country.

Retired guard Jon Feliciano, who spent his final two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, learned this the hard way. Over a decade, he earned nearly $24 million, but state taxes took quite a bit from it. When an X user posted “sucks to be you” about his career total, Feliciano reposted it with his own response:

“Unfortunately California f****d me outta half 😢.”

Not everybody walks into the NFL with this problem, though. Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 Draft, is projected to sign a $57.2 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Going to a team based in Nevada, he won’t have to lose a single dollar to state taxes. Carnell Tate, taken 4th overall by the Tennessee Titans, is in the same boat. His $51.1 million deal won’t take a state tax hit either.

On the other hand, David Bailey, picked 2nd overall by the New York Jets, isn’t as fortunate. He will have to pay around $5.7 million to the state of New Jersey.

For Garrett, the $2.9 million tax hit doesn’t exist alone. Relocating from Cleveland to Los Angeles adds moving costs and housing in one of the most expensive cities. Garrett has already lost $1 million by missing his offseason workout bonus. Stack that with the state tax and relocation costs, and his actual payout drops significantly.

Garrett can’t fight California taxes. But the football case for this move is crystal clear.

New team and new spark for Myles Garrett

The Rams have confirmed that Myles Garrett will wear No. 95 in Los Angeles, the same number he donned for nine seasons with the Browns.

Garrett recorded 23 sacks last season, an NFL single-season record, and also earned his seventh Pro Bowl and second Defensive Player of the Year award. Despite all his efforts, the Browns went 5-12. The offense imploded week after week while Garrett tried to keep them on the field. Now he’s not the one carrying that weight.

The Rams made the NFC Championship game last season and lost 31-27 to the Seattle Seahawks. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won the MVP honor for his calm and brilliance, and the Rams have been chasing that last loss since January. Garrett gives Stafford the edge he needs to push for his second Super Bowl ring. But that’s not all Garrett has to look forward to this season.

In Cleveland, Garrett got one primetime game: Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Rams, on the other hand, have seven primetime games locked in for 2026, with even more possible with flex schedules near the end of the season. With this, Garrett will be on more screens, in bigger moments.

The Browns got three draft picks and Jared Verse in exchange for sending their defensive cornerstone to the Rams. Los Angeles got an elite pass rusher for their Super Bowl push. The NFL got its best defensive player in seven primetime slots instead of one. It was a win-win-win, but only Myles Garrett won with a $3 million hole in his pocket.