The Cleveland Browns are a bad football team. Myles Garrett is not a bad football player. The reality of our world dictates that both of these statements can be true, but that doesn't ease the pain Browns fans are in.
On Sunday, Garrett recorded his franchise-record 20th sack of the 2025-26 season against the one-win Tennessee Titans. His quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, tossed for 364 yards and four touchdowns. Cleveland still lost the game 31-29.
MYLES GARRETT'S 20TH SACK.
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
TENvsCLE on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/aN2ucwRNGn
In fact, the Titans held Garrett to just a four percent pash rush win rate during the game Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus. That's incredibly the second-worst in his career and he still managed to look like the MVP.
Where Myles Garrett ranks among NFL's sack leaders
So, the only thing Browns fans have to root for this season is Garrett's seemingly inevitable approach at claiming the NFL's single-season sack record. With four games left to play, he's just two and a half sacks away. His chase has him climbing the league leaderboards in more ways than one.
Garrett is a whole seven sacks ahead of the next closest player, New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns, and nobody else looks poised to catch him in the slightest.
2025-26 NFL sack leaders
Player (team) | Sacks |
|---|---|
Myles Garrett (CLE) | 20.0 |
Brian Burns (NYG) | 13.0 |
Nik Bonitto (DEN) | 12.5 |
Micah Parsons (GB) | 12.5 |
Danielle Hunter (HOU) | 11.0 |
Josh Sweat (ARI) | 11.0 |
Byron Young (LAR) | 11.0 |
Garrett is averaging 1.5 sacks per game (13 games played) this year so if he keeps up that pace, he'll easily pass Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and rival T.J. Watt who own the league's single-season record. Incredibly, he's averaging nearly a sack per game in his career, per PFF.
NFL all-time single-season sack leaders (since 1982)
Player (year) | Sacks |
|---|---|
1. Michael Strahan (2001), T.J. Watt* (2021) | 22.5 |
3. Jared Allen (2011), Mark Gastineau (1984), Justin Houston (2014) | 22.0 |
6. Chris Doleman (1989), Reggie White (1987) | 21.0 |
8. Aaron Donald (2018), Lawrence Taylor (1986), J.J. Watt (2012), J.J. Watt (2014) | 20.5 |
12. Myles Garrett* (2025), Derrick Thomas (1990), DeMarcus Ware (2008) | 20.0 |
Watt actually tied Strahan in one less game (15) during the 2021 season. Garrett's pace would have him pass both of them in the same amount as Watt with an extra game left to potentially extend that record further.
Cleveland's opponent's down the stretch include the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers. The latter two squads have allowed 20 or more sacks this year to opposing defenses which bodes mildly well for Garrett.
The 29-year-old veteran currently sits 22nd in the all-time sack rankings (since it became an official stat in 1982) with 122.5. If he were to break the single-season record and reach 125.5, he'd move into a tie for 20th with Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney.
NFL all-time career sack leaders (since 1982)
Player | Sacks |
|---|---|
1. Bruce Smith | 200.0 |
2. Reggie White | 198.0 |
3. Kevin Greene | 160.0 |
4. Julius Peppers | 159.5 |
5. Chris Doleman | 150.5 |
6. Michael Strahan | 141.5 |
7. Jason Taylor | 139.5 |
8. Terrell Suggs | 139.0 |
9. DeMarcus Ware | 138.5 |
10. Richard Dent, John Randall | 137.5 |
13. Von Miller* | 135.5 |
17. Cam Jordan* | 128.0 |
22. Myles Garrett* | 122.5 |
Garrett is still a long ways away from threatening for the all-time sack record. Hall of Famer Bruce Smith's 200.0 sacks are safe for now. Though if Garrett continues to play well into his 30s and average 13.5 sacks (his current career average), he would reach that mark in six more years — his age 37 season (2031).