Myles Garrett breaks NFL record for sacks in a season

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Browns DE Myles Garrett has likely secured DPOY after breaking NFL sacks record

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jan 4, 2026 4:22 PM ET

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has likely secured Defensive Player of the Year after making NFL history.

Entering Cleveland's regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Garrett needed one sack to break the record for the most in a season. Former New York Giants DE Michael Strahan set the record during the 2001 season with 22.5 in 16 games. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt tied the mark (22.5 in 15 games) during the 2021 season.

But now Garrett stands alone. Late in the fourth quarter of a 20-18 Cleveland win, the DE blew past Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and sandwiched quarterback Joe Burrow, giving him his 23rd sack of the season. Teammates then carried him on their shoulders.

Strahan won DPOY the season he set the sack record, and so did Watt. Garrett, of course, should do the same after eclipsing the mark. He clearly deserves it.

MYLES GARRETT IS THE NEW SACK RECORD KING.

CLEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Jaa4aBGrIl
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026

How Myles Garrett had one of the best seasons in NFL history

Garrett didn't need the record to establish himself as one of the best players in the league. The 2017 No. 1 pick has already done so in nine seasons with the Browns, making seven Pro Bowls and earning four first-team All-Pro nods. He also won DPOY during the 2023 season.

As one of the top pass-rushers in the league, it's not surprising that Garrett regularly faces double-teams. After 17 weeks, the Browns DE had faced double-teams on 64.29 percent of his pass-rush snaps (via Pro Football Focus), well above the league average. Despite that, he's had no trouble wrecking offensive game plans weekly.

"I don't think there's any other gear this year," Garrett said of beating double-teams in November, via The Athletic's Zac Jackson. "I think I'm still in sixth, seventh gear, which I have been in the last four or five years. And I think just the combination of excellent coaching and great teammates has helped me get these matchups I'm able to win.

"I think I've been able to win double [teams] and singles for the majority of my career, and now that other guys are winning at a high level, that just creates more opportunities, and we're making the most of it, including myself."

Exploiting those opportunities helped Garrett produce one of the most dominant seasons in league history. That should help him earn his second DPOY, which would increase his already strong chances of making the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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