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Zac Taylor wanted Browns punished for celebrating Myles Garrett's record-setting sack

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jan 4, 2026 10:35 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor was not exactly the best sport about how the Cleveland Browns celebrated Myles Garrett’s sack record.

Garrett collected his 23rd sack of the season during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Oh. when he cornered Joe Burrow in the backfield. Garrett’s teammates mobbed him to celebrate the achievement, and some players even came off the bench to join in the celebration.

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

Under normal circumstances, referees might throw a flag for that, but they turned a blind eye to this, seemingly in acknowledgement of the moment. That did not sit well with Taylor, who was “unloading” on the officials after the play.

Zac Taylor is unloading on the officials for not flagging the Browns for coming off the sideline to celebrate Myles Garrett's record breaking sack

In referee Alex Kemps face.
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) January 4, 2026

It is not even clear that the Browns did anything to constitute a penalty. Unsportsmanlike conduct can be called if a player removes his helmet on the field, or if they leave the bench to join in a fight. Nobody seemed to take their helmet off, and this definitely was not a fight.

Garrett’s sack left the Bengals facing a 2nd and long near midfield. Maybe Taylor thought he could get 15 of those yards back in a game Cincinnati was trailing 17-12 at that point. It did not work, and wound up just making him look kind of ornery.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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