Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes may have concisely put an end to the idea that it will happen on Tuesday, and Myles Garrett’s current team remains publicly dug-in about not trading him (at least for now), but it would be a dereliction of duty for the general manager of any Super Bowl contender to not at least make a phone call.

According to John Maakaron of SI.com, the Lions are among multiple teams to reach out to the Cleveland Browns about defensive end Myles Garrett.

“Sources with knowledge of the situation express that the Lions are among multiple teams to reach out to Cleveland regarding Garrett, but the Browns have not called any of the teams back.”

Of course the Browns have played the phone calls they’ve gotten about Garrett since he made his trade request public the first day of Super Bowl week this way, essentially: “Leave a message, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can….or never, if you’re calling about Myles Garrett.”

Lions absolutely have to be in the conversation about Myles Garrett

It has always been patently unlikely the Lions will trade for Garrett, with what the Browns will want (and can get) in draft capital and the likelihood of having to give him a contract extension that’s toward the top of the edge rusher market. Holmes noted Aidan Hutchinson being in line for a contract extension, and how hard it would be to acquire and pay another high-end edge rusher.

But from the moment Garrett decided to go public with his trade request, it has made sense for the Lions to at least make a call to the Browns. Sitting out of the conversation due sheerly to the fact trading for him would cost a lot is not an option, as other teams the Lions are competing with would be in the mix.

Mike Valenti of 97.1 The Ticket absolutely nailed that aspect the day Garrett’s trade request became public.

“If the Detroit Lions don’t get in on this, someone you’re going to face on your way to the Super Bowl next year will. The teams are already lining up, the Buffalo Bills, the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Ravens, the Green Bay Packers. This is life at the top of the food chain”, Valenti said.

The Browns may or may not shift from their stance about Garrett, but the situation has also not gotten messy yet. The Lions have apparently reach out to show interest in acquiring the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, just as they should.