After becoming the new single-season sack king, Myles Garrett – unsurprisingly – claimed the NFL's AP Defensive Player of the Year Award
The worst-kept secret of the NFL Honors ceremony is officially out. Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett was officially awarded the 2025 AP Defensive Player of the Year Award.
It's the second time he claimed the honor in his career, with the first one being added to his trophy case back in 2023.
Garrett was a unanimous choice for the award after establishing a new single-season sack record, racking up 23 of them over the course of the 17-game campaign.
He officially became the ninth player in NFL history to win the DPOY multiple times, joining an illustrious list that includes legends: Joe Greene, Lawrence Taylor, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Ray Lewis, JJ Watt and Aaron Donald.
Of that group, Greene, Singletary, Smith, White, Lewis and now Garrett have each won the award twice. The trio of Taylor, Watt and Donald can stake claim to being the only players to do it three times.
Garrett's quest for the single-season sack record came down to the waning minutes of the season. Entering Week 18, the former No. 1 overall pick was still trailing previous record holders, Michael Strahan and TJ Watt (22.5) by a half sack.
Through three quarters of the Browns season finale with the Cincinnati Bengals, Garrett had been unable to corral his longtime counterpart Joe Burrow. Finally, with 5:19 to go in the game, Garrett got home, sacking Burrow to become the new sack king.
The 23 sacks obviously defined Garrett's season, and helped him secure the DPOY award, but the 2025 campaign was easily the best of his career across the board. The 30-year-old also finished with career-highs for tackles for loss (33) and QB hits (39). He tied his career high in total tackles with 60, while also forcing three fumbles and deflecting one pass.
Garrett remains the only player in franchise history to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award. His historic season only further bolstered what is already a Hall of Fame-caliber resume, which should end in Cleveland one day.
Last year, during Super Bowl week, Garrett caused quite a stir by demanding a trade. After a month-long standoff, he and the Browns agreed to a record-setting, four-year contract extension worth $160 million. At the time, it made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in football.
Garrett proved to be worth every single penny by putting together one of the greatest individual seasons in NFL history and capping it off with another DPOY.