The Cleveland Browns didn't have the best season by a win-loss measure, but there was a lot to take away from 2025. While the rookie class was a huge takeaway, none were as impactful as Myles Garrett this season.
He broke the single-season sack record by recording his 23rd sack against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. Garrett had an incredible year, but how great was it actually?
According to ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell, Garrett's 2025 season was one of the "best ever" by a defensive player in league history. When looking at the statistics and dominance, it's hard to argue with this assessment.
Myles Garrett just has an all-time NFL season
"Garrett's 2025 season belongs right up there with those Watt campaigns and the other best seasons by any defender in league history," Barnwell wrote.
The J.J. Watt seasons that Barnwell is referring to were Watt's remarkable 2012-2015 seasons when he was dominating the league. He was one of, if not the best, players in the NFL during that stretch.
Garrett in 2025 has the case to be the best player in the league. If he were on a Super Bowl contender, his numbers might've been even better, and he might've received realistic MVP consideration as Watt did.
What makes this season such a remarkable one for Garrett wasn't simply that he reached 23 sacks; it was how he did it and what he accomplished outside of his sack production.
Garrett forced three fumbles, had 12 tackles for loss in the run game, and combined with his sack total, has his 33 tackles for loss this season as the second all-time to Watt in 2012.
During his record-breaking season, Garrett faced double-teams, chip blocks, and, very rarely, one-on-one matchups. And when he did, Garrett dominated as he did on the record-breaking sack, when he had a get-off of.23 seconds to get to Burrow.
Garrett had one of the best seasons of recent NFL history, with his record-breaking sack total just a piece of the pie that made Garrett's 2025 one of the best ever. Barnwell believes it's worthy of such a label, and it's hard to argue considering how great he was.
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