To no surprise, Myles Garrett was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year last night at the NFL Honors, marking the second such award for the former Texas A&M pass rusher. It was almost a foregone conclusion that Garrett would win this award, given that he is coming off of a year wherein he set the single-season sack record.
The BEST defensive player in the NFL is a Texas A&M Aggie 💪 pic.twitter.com/AjURhK6QXo
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 6, 2026
Michael Strahan held the record for quite some time— one that was often looked at askance thanks to the fact that his final sack was essentially given to him so that he could hold the record— and TJ Watt tied it a few years ago, but Garrett fully broke it this year. With an accomplishment like that under his belt, it would have been absolutely criminal to not give him the award.
The NFL Defensive Player of the Year was made in Aggieland. Congrats, @Flash_Garrett! pic.twitter.com/sVBAr2GJ9q
— Texas A&M Athletics 👍 (@12thMan) February 6, 2026
Garrett ended the year with 23 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, 60 total tackles, 39 quarterback hits, and 3 forced fumbles. He was a unanimous all-pro selection and the top player on the Browns' roster, without a doubt.
Myles Garrett furthers his case as best NFL Aggie of all time with second DPOY award
These accomplishments further the already-solid case that Garrett has for the best NFL Aggie of all time. His name will be in the record books for years to come, as it is doubtful that his single-season sack number will be topped at any point in the near future, and he is already the type of defensive talent that opponents have to game plan around.
The main problem is that he is on such a hapless team. The Cleveland Browns are going nowhere fast, and things don't exactly look very bright in the upcoming years for them. If Garrett were able to play for a contender— whether that means being traded or the Browns suddenly improving massively— then there would be a lot more buzz about this proposition.
For now, though, Garrett's career needs to be appreciated on its own merits. Though he doesn't have the same kind of PR buzz as he would if he were on a perennial champion, he is still the best defensive player in the league— and that deserves recognition.