Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett broke the NFL’s single-season sack record against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
The 29-year-old had entered Week 17 half-a-sack behind the previous record of 22.5 set by New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan in the 2001/02 season, which was matched in 2021/22 by TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Having been stifled by Pittsburgh, he eventually made history with sack No 23 on the final day of the NFL regular season when he brought down Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of their 20-18 victory in Week 18.
Garrett overtakes Strahan and Watt to make history
Garrett was selected as the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns and has recorded double-digit sacks in eight straight campaigns. He was also named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
Garrett, who signed a four-year $160m contract this offseason, lifted his tally to 125.5 career sacks, marking the second-most by a player in his first nine seasons in the NFL since 1982.
He is the first player ever to post at least 12 sacks in six straight seasons, his milestone moment representing the 12th time he has sacked Burrow, snapping a tie with Lamar Jackson as his most-sacked quarterback.
His record-breaking season included a five-sack display in Cleveland’s defeat to the New England Patriots in Week Nine, followed by four against the Baltimore Ravens two weeks later.
