Myles Garrett sacked Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter of the Browns Week 18 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The result of said game doesn't matter, as both teams are well out of playoff contention. The one statistic on the line heading into the matchup was Garrett's, and he achieved NFL immortality in an extra week than the Hall of Famers he was chasing.
All of it is true, but Garrett also recorded his 23rd sack in less snaps. He passed TJ Watt, his rival on the Pittsburgh Steelers, just one week after Aaron Rodgers spent the vast majority of an unaffordable loss by Lake Erie avoiding Garrett and the Browns pass rush. Yet, Garrett is inevitable. His status atop the league's all-time, single-season sack rankings was inevitable. There is no stopping this man, and Joe Burrow didn't have an ax to grind.
MYLES GARRETT IS THE NEW SACK RECORD KING.
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026
CLEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Jaa4aBGrIl
Stop poking holes in Myles Garrett's sack record
The initial complaints from the Browns' AFC North rivals weren't all that complicated. Garrett read the snap count to perfection. Upon first look, he may have been offsides. Yet, how many holds against Garrett go uncalled? And, does anyone have a legitimate replay of Garrett crossing the line of scrimmage? The answer to that question is no.
Myles Garrett now has set the NFL single-season record for sacks. pic.twitter.com/bsOK3RMamr
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2026
The Steelers tried and failed to keep Garrett from breaking Watt's record. Unfortunately for them, the Browns still had another game to play against a weak offensive line. Pittsburgh has their own issues to deal with, namely an AFC North-deciding contest against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night.
The Steelers did just enough to keep Garrett waiting. However, his rivalry with Watt has to be a back-and-forth battle. That's what makes it so great. This year, Watt is down, dealing with an injury to his lung. Garrett is at his very best, and now Watt must answer.
Myles' dad in the stands with his camera at the ready 🧡 pic.twitter.com/wGTINfZsIp
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 4, 2026
Perhaps Garrett got a head start on his record-breaking sack. And, yes, Burrow slid down rather than stepping up in the pocket. But a sack is a sack is a sack. No matter the venue, Garrett earned his accomplishment, beating the Bengals offensive line off the line of scrimmage. The rest was history.
Myles Garrett deserves so much better than the Browns
Now comes the bad part. Browns fans may want to stop reading, but deep down they know it to be true. Garrett is a generational talent as a pass rusher. On a good team, he could be the difference maker to win a playoff game. Instead, he is competing for records and a fifth win. Heck, the Browns don't even want that victory. It'll impact their draft positioning.
But, a record broken means more merchandise to sell. Garrett surpassed a division rival, which will only fuel ticket sales for next season's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland has been an impossible place to play for the Steelers the last few years. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have lost four straight games in Cleveland. That was all under Mike Tomlin's watch.
Much of what is stacked against Garrett is only a byproduct of playing for the Browns. He hasn't made the same impact in the postseason. He hasn't gone on a playoff run, and likely won't win a Super Bowl. All of that is why he asked for a trade during Super Bowl media week last February. None of it has changed, but Garrett signed on the dotted line to become the highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL (at the time).
So yes, Garrett broke the record. He deserves it! But let's not pretend that makes the Browns season a success.