Myles Garrett Claims Defensive Player of the Year in Unanimous Fashion, While Aidan Hutchinson Finishes Strong
There’s dominance, and then there’s what Myles Garrett just did.
The Cleveland Browns defensive end was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in a unanimous vote-an emphatic stamp on a season that saw him break the league’s single-season sack record with 23. That’s not just elite production; that’s rewriting what we thought was possible off the edge.
Garrett’s win was announced Thursday night at the NFL Honors ceremony in San Francisco, and there was no debate. Not from the voters, and certainly not from the quarterbacks who tried-and failed-to escape him all year.
A Season for the Ages
Garrett, now 30, didn’t just put up video game numbers-he did it week in and week out, even as the Browns stumbled to a 5-12 finish and landed at the bottom of the AFC North. That’s what makes his performance even more remarkable.
This wasn’t a player riding the momentum of a playoff-bound team. This was raw, relentless dominance.
He recorded at least half a sack in 13 of Cleveland’s 17 games. That kind of consistency is rare, especially when you’re the focal point of every offensive line’s protection scheme.
And when he did explode, he made headlines: five sacks in one game against New England, four more a few weeks later against Baltimore. Those are game-wrecking performances that few defenders in the league can match.
Only three teams managed to keep him off the sack sheet all season-Minnesota, Pittsburgh (twice), and Detroit. That’s it.
Everyone else? They felt the full force of Garrett’s pass-rushing arsenal.
This marks Garrett’s second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award, and it’s hard to argue against the possibility of a three-peat if he keeps this pace.
Hutchinson’s Breakout Year
While Garrett was the runaway winner, Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson quietly put together a season that deserves its own spotlight.
Hutchinson, 25, bounced back from a devastating leg injury last year-fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg-to not only return to form, but to become one of the most impactful defenders in the league. He played all 17 games, led the Lions in sacks (14.5), tackles for loss (14), quarterback hits (35), and forced fumbles (4).
He also led the entire NFL in quarterback pressures with 89. That’s not just a comeback-it’s a statement.
He finished fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind Garrett, Micah Parsons (Green Bay), Will Anderson (Houston), and Nik Bonitto (Denver). But Hutchinson was also a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year, a nod to just how far he’s come in a short time.
And he didn’t just rack up numbers-he was a workhorse. Only linebacker Jack Campbell logged more defensive snaps for Detroit this season.
Still Chasing History in Detroit
Despite Hutchinson’s breakout, the Lions are still chasing their first-ever AP Defensive Player of the Year award. The honor has been handed out annually since 1971, and no Detroit player has claimed it in that span.
Last season, safety Kerby Joseph came close, finishing sixth in the voting after leading the league with nine interceptions. Before that, you have to go all the way back to 1983, when Doug English received a vote. That’s nearly five decades without a winner.
But if Hutchinson continues on this trajectory-healthy, hungry, and highly productive-Detroit might not have to wait much longer.
Final Word
This year’s Defensive Player of the Year race wasn’t close, and it didn’t need to be. Myles Garrett was on another level-setting records, anchoring a defense, and doing it all with a motor that never quit.
But Aidan Hutchinson’s rise shouldn’t be overlooked. In a league stacked with edge-rushing talent, he’s already forcing his name into the conversation.
Garrett may have taken home the hardware, but Hutchinson made it clear: he’s coming.