In Cincinnati on Jan. 4, 2026, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett registered a fourth-quarter sack of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to reach 23 sacks for the 2025 regular season, breaking the NFL single-season record. The play came with 5:17 remaining in the season finale at Paycor Stadium and helped seal a 20-18 Browns victory. Garrett’s 23rd sack surpassed the prior 22.5 mark shared by Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021), rewriting the official sacks ledger. Teammates and fans celebrated a milestone that capped a remarkable personal run during a season in which the Browns missed the playoffs.
Key Takeaways
- Myles Garrett recorded his 23rd sack on Jan. 4, 2026, at Paycor Stadium, giving him the single-season NFL record with one play that came with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter.
- The Browns won the game 20-18; Garrett’s sack that day was his 12th career takedown of Joe Burrow, the most he’s had against any quarterback.
- The previous single-season benchmark was 22.5 sacks, set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and matched by T.J. Watt in 2021; Garrett’s 23.0 surpasses both.
- Garrett finished the season with 23 sacks and 33 tackles for loss, marking his sixth straight season with at least 12 sacks and eighth consecutive season of double-digit sacks.
- With 125.5 career sacks through nine NFL seasons, Garrett ranks second for sacks accumulated in a player’s first nine seasons (since 1982) and surpassed Reggie White’s pre-30 total of 108.
- Garrett turned 30 on Dec. 29, 2025, and signed a four-year, $160 million extension prior to the 2025 season.
Background
The individual sack became an official NFL statistic in 1982; since then single-season leaders have been closely tracked as a measure of pass-rush dominance. Michael Strahan’s 22.5 sacks in 2001 stood as the benchmark for nearly a quarter-century until T.J. Watt matched it in 2021. Garrett’s run through the 2025 season placed him in that historical conversation early and then pushed him past the mark in the regular-season finale.
Garrett arrived in Cleveland as the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft and has been a consistently elite edge rusher, earning six Pro Bowl nods and four All-Pro selections. The Browns signed him to a four-year, $160 million extension before 2025, resolving a trade request earlier in the year and signaling the franchise’s commitment to building around his pass-rush core.
Despite Garrett’s individual success, the Browns failed to reach the postseason after a Week 14 loss to the Tennessee Titans officially eliminated the team from playoff contention. The contrast between team results and individual milestones has framed local and national coverage of Garrett’s historic season.
Main Event
In Cincinnati, Garrett spent part of the decisive series aligned at defensive tackle and later blitzing as an off-ball linebacker before beating left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to sack Joe Burrow. The takedown at 5:17 remaining produced Garrett’s 23rd sack of the 2025 regular season and produced an immediate uproar from the crowd at Paycor Stadium, roughly 250 miles from Cleveland.
The play also marked Garrett’s 12th career sack of Burrow, moving past the tie with Lamar Jackson for the most times Garrett has brought down a single quarterback. Earlier in the season Garrett had recorded milestone performances including a five-sack game in Week 9 against the New England Patriots and a four-sack game in Week 11 versus the Baltimore Ravens.
Throughout the stretch run, Garrett recorded at least a half-sack in nine consecutive games before that streak ended in the Browns’ Week 17 win over Pittsburgh. Across the season he led the league with 33 tackles for loss while compiling the 23 sacks that now top the NFL single-season list.
Analysis & Implications
Statistically, Garrett’s 23 sacks place him atop a small and elite group of single-season pass rushers. Clearing the 22.5 threshold is notable because half-sacks are recorded in the NFL’s official statistics; reaching a whole-number total above 22.5 required sustained production across a full schedule. Garrett’s consistency—double-digit sacks in eight straight campaigns—underscores a career-level reliability that scouts and executives value highly.
For Garrett’s personal legacy, the new record strengthens his Hall of Fame résumé if he sustains elite play for several more seasons. Voters for the Defensive Player of the Year are likely to weigh the record alongside game-changing plays, tackles for loss, and the Browns’ overall defensive ranking. While Garrett entered the season as the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year and the betting favorite again in 2025, awards are decided after full-season review by voters.
From a team-building perspective, the production justifies the Browns’ investment and elevates the franchise’s profile in defensive planning around the league. Opposing coordinators will study the tape for years: Garrett’s use of alignment flexibility—lining up inside, then rushing off the edge—was a recurring motif that created mismatches and schematic stress for left tackles and protection schemes.
Economically, the record amplifies Garrett’s market value beyond his current contract and could factor into future contract structures for elite non-quarterbacks. Teams increasingly tie pay to both peak performance and sustained availability; Garrett’s milestone bolsters the argument that elite edge rushers command top-tier compensation.
Comparison & Data
| Player | Season | Sacks |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Strahan | 2001 | 22.5 |
| T.J. Watt | 2021 | 22.5 |
| Myles Garrett | 2025 | 23.0 |
The table shows the narrow margin separating Garrett from prior single-season leaders. Garrett’s 23.0 sacks reflect whole-sack accounting that eclipses two instances of 22.5. Analysts will track how many pressures, quarterback hits and run stops accompanied the sack total to contextualize overall impact beyond the raw figure.
Reactions & Quotes
“This is a special milestone for him and for our defense,” said the Browns’ head coach following the game, praising Garrett’s technique and preparation.
Cleveland Browns (postgame comments)
“Garrett’s season exemplifies rare sustained pass-rush excellence—few players combine volume and consistency like this,” noted an independent pass-rush analyst.
Independent analytics expert
Fans at Paycor Stadium celebrated loudly after the play; social posts and local beat writers highlighted both the record and the bittersweet context of a missed playoff berth.
Local media and social coverage
Unconfirmed
- The Defensive Player of the Year voting outcome for 2025 has not been officially announced as of this report and remains pending voter confirmation.
- Precise attendance figures for the Jan. 4 game are reported as an estimate around Paycor Stadium’s crowd; official box-office numbers were not available at the time of publication.
- Any internal Browns deliberations about Garrett’s role or future contract adjustments beyond the announced extension were not confirmed by team sources.
Bottom Line
Myles Garrett’s 23-sack season rewrites the NFL single-season record book and cements his status as one of the game’s premier pass rushers. The milestone arrives amid a complex narrative: immense individual achievement paired with a Browns season that fell short of the playoffs.
Beyond the headline, Garrett’s record will be parsed by award voters, front-office evaluators and opponents planning protections in the coming seasons. Whether this moment translates into additional hardware or accelerated Hall of Fame discussion will depend on sustained production and postseason outcomes should the Browns return to contention.