Myles Garrett Reacts to Breaking the NFL Single-Season Sack Record

Myles Garrett talked about his record-breaking sack after the Browns’ win over the Bengals.

Myles Garrett set the official single-season sack record on Sunday. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The chase is over.

In the final six minutes of the Browns’ season, Myles Garrett sacked Joe Burrow to notch his 23rd of the season and set the new official NFL single-season sack record. With his 23rd sack, Garrett breaks the record held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, and ties the unofficial record set by Al Baker in 1978—before sacks were an official NFL statistic.

“There was no way we were gonna allow anything [getting] in the way of history,” Garrett told reporters after the game.

a once-in-a-lifetime talent continues to make his mark#CLEvsCIN on CBS and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/GOy951yUP9

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 4, 2026

Garrett got up to 18 sacks on the season after 13 sacks in a four-game span from Oct. 26 to Nov. 23. With six games to go at that point, Garrett was not only on pace to break a record that has stood for a quarter century, but smash it.

As Garrett approached the record, however, teams worked extra hard to keep him from getting too many sacks. He did not record two or more sacks in a game after his three-sack performance against the Raiders back in November, and was held to just a half sack in his previous two games against the Bills and Steelers, with the Steelers appearing to go out of their way to prevent him from notching the record against them.

With seconds ticking off the clock in the final quarter of their season finale against the Bengals, it seemed a recent dream Garrett had—that he failed to break the sack record—could come true.

Finally, though, Garrett got through to Burrow. On first-and-10 with the Bengals past midfield, Garrett burst off the line of scrimmage and quickly moved past Orlando Brown Jr. to take Burrow down and get that elusive 23rd sack of the year.

“It was everything I expected,” Garrett said of breaking the record. “It was so tough. I knew they were going to make it difficult, but I don’t think I saw more than three singles on a real drop-back the whole game. I just knew that if I did, I had to make that moment count. The feeling couldn’t be better.”

As defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz schemed to help get Garrett free, Garrett lined up at defensive tackle, defensive end and inside linebacker to try and sack Burrow. “I felt like Micah [Parsons] out there,” Garrett said.

Ultimately, it took what Garrett called “probably the best get-off” of his career to get the sack. Garrett knew the snap count and according to Next Gen Stats, got off the line of scrimmage in 0.23 seconds, the fastest of any sack this season.

pic.twitter.com/TW5rE9gA6I

— Robert Mays (@robertmays) January 4, 2026

After the sack, Garrett quickly was swarmed by his Browns’ teammates, who carried him on their shoulders in celebration of a historic season. Garrett plans to celebrate with pizza and ice cream after the game.

“It was special,” Garrett said. “I’ve given everything to them. They get my very best every day. I’m so grateful and so glad to have them as teammates. It’s a privilege to be with these guys, go to work with these guys. ... I couldn’t imagine doing it with a better group of men.”

“Been waiting on this my whole life, my whole football career. I knew I had it in me. Damn I wanted that 25, they made it real difficult these last two games especially. That’ll be the next journey, that I’m trying to go out there and get 25.”

---

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark

feed