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It came down to the 17th game of the season, but there is a new single-season sack leader.
Myles Garrett passed Michael Strahan and TJ Watt on the all-time leaderboard and recorded his 23rd sack of the season.
Perhaps many NFL fans will place their own asterisk on the record, as Strahan’s mark in 2001 was over a 16-game season. Nonetheless, Garrett’s season is historic.
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Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett sacks Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at Paycor Stadium. The play set a new NFL single-season sack record by Garrett. (Joseph Maiorana/Imagn Images)
Garrett struggled to get the record — he was sitting at 21.5 sacks in 14 games, but recorded just half a sack in Week 16, then none last week.
But with just over five minutes left in his season, Garrett was able to defeat Joe Burrow to win the crown.
Garrett got an explosive jumper from the right side of the defensive line. Feeling the pressure, Burrow fell before Garrett could completely maul him.
Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns is carried by his teammates after the sack during the fourth quarter of the game against the Bengals at Paycor Stadium on January 4, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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Watt matched Strahan in the 2021 season, scoring in his 17th game of the season. He had four sacks in the penultimate game to give himself a chance.
Garrett is likely to get his second Defensive Player of the Year award, also winning in 2023. This is the first time Garrett will lead the NFL in sacks. Entering Sunday, he was 124.5 in his career which began in 2017.
Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns during the New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium on October 26, 2025, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Garrett, who turned 30 last week, requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns during the offseason, citing his desire to win. However, a record $160 million contract quickly changed his mind, and thanks to Garrett, he’s living up to every penny.
To put the icing on the cake, Garrett’s Browns beat the Bengals, 20-18, thanks to a field goal.
