Myles Garrett Is Chasing History - And Might Just Shatter It
The NFL is a league built on numbers. Stats drive contracts, legacies, and bar debates from coast to coast. And while some numbers fade into the background, others become etched in football lore - the kind of records that define eras and dominate highlight reels for decades.
One of those records? The single-season sack mark.
For years, 22.5 sacks stood as the gold standard - first set by Michael Strahan in 2001, then matched by T.J. Watt in 2021.
It’s a number that felt untouchable for a long time. But now, with five games left in the 2025 season, Myles Garrett is not just knocking on the door - he’s ready to kick it in.
Garrett currently leads the NFL with 19.0 sacks, and he’s doing it with a level of dominance that’s hard to ignore. He’s on pace for 27 sacks, which would not only break the record - it would obliterate it.
Let’s not forget: Strahan’s record came in a 16-game season. Watt had 17 games to work with.
Garrett? Same deal - the 17-game schedule gives him that extra opportunity, but this isn’t about padding numbers.
This is about impact. And Garrett is making his presence felt on every snap.
A Season of Destruction
Garrett isn’t just leading the league in sacks. He’s also tops in tackles for loss (28) and quarterback pressures (36).
He’s been a nightmare for offensive lines, and yet he’s missed just one tackle all year. That’s not just elite pass rushing - that’s complete defensive play.
And he knows exactly what he’s chasing.
Before each game, Garrett wraps his wrists in tape - standard for linemen - and scribbles a number on them. That number?
His personal sack goal for the game. He’s not hiding from the record.
He’s manifesting it.
“I don’t even think about (the record) as a want - I just think about it as something that I’m going to knock down,” Garrett said recently. “It’s already been written in my mind that it’s going (down). It’s just how far I’m going to take it.”
That mindset? That’s what separates the great from the legendary.
Garrett has already joined rare company. He’s now one of only three players in NFL history to post 16 or more sacks in three different seasons - the others being Reggie White and J.J.
Watt. That’s Hall of Fame territory.
Defensive Player of the Year? MVP?
With the way he’s playing, Garrett is the clear frontrunner for his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. But his impact has been so overwhelming that his own defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, is making the case for something even bigger.
“I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a more valuable player in the NFL,” Schwartz said. “Myles had five sacks in one game, four sacks in another, a bunch of tackles for losses, really dominating play. When you’re talking about most valuable player, it’s tough to keep him out of that conversation.”
It’s rare air. The last time a player won Defensive Player of the Year on a losing team?
Jason Taylor, back in 2006. But Garrett’s Browns aren’t just hanging around - they’re competing, and he’s the engine behind it.
The Path Ahead: Can He Break It?
So what does the road to 23 sacks - or more - look like? Let’s break down the remaining opponents and the matchups Garrett will be licking his chops over.
Next up: Tennessee Titans
- Sacks allowed: 48 (most in the NFL)
- Right tackle: J.C.
Latham
- PFF pass blocking grade: 61.9
- Sacks allowed by Latham: 7
This is the matchup that could push Garrett over the edge. The Titans’ offensive line has been a revolving door all season, and Garrett has already shown he can feast on struggling fronts - remember the five-sack game against New England?
Or the four he dropped on Baltimore? If he gets cooking early, the record could fall this weekend.
Remaining schedule:
- Chicago Bears Sacks allowed: 19 (6th fewest) RT: Darnell Wright PFF grade: 74.1 Sacks allowed: 1
- Buffalo Bills Sacks allowed: 28 (18th) RT: Spencer Brown PFF grade: 59.0 Sacks allowed: 3
- Seattle Seahawks Sacks allowed: 22 (10th) RT: Troy Fautanu PFF grade: 67.5 Sacks allowed: 1
- Atlanta Falcons Sacks allowed: 25 (11th) RT: Amarius Mims PFF grade: 61.8 Sacks allowed: 4
It’s a mixed bag after Tennessee. Chicago and Seattle have done a solid job protecting their quarterbacks.
Buffalo and Atlanta? More vulnerable.
But Garrett doesn’t need every matchup to be a mismatch - he’s proven he can take over a game against just about anyone.
The Bottom Line
Myles Garrett is in the middle of a season for the ages. The sack record, once thought unbreakable, is now squarely in his sights. And the way he’s playing, it’s not a matter of “if” - it’s “when” and “by how much.”
He’s not just chasing history. He’s rewriting it.