Of all the awards handed out at NFL Honors on Thursday night, the one that was the easiest to predict was Defensive Player of the Year. Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett was the runaway winner of the award.
The only questions were whether it would be unanimous, and it was, and who would finish second.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGarrett received all 50 first-place votes, joining J.J. Watt in 2014 as the only unanimous winners of the award.
Garrett's 500 points dwarfed Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. (177), Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons (63), Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto (52) and Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (42).
It was Garrett's second career DPOY award, having last won it in 2023. He finished fifth in 2022 and third in 2024.
He is the ninth player to win multiple DPOY awards, with only Aaron Donald, Watt and Lawrence Taylor having more with three each.
Garrett made history throughout the season, capping it off by setting the NFL single-season sack record in Week 18 with his 23rd sack. He also broke the Browns' single-season sack record that he set in 2021 and tied in 2022.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe became the first player since 1982 to record 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons, when he recorded his 12th sack of the season in Week 11. Garrett also set the record for the most sacks by a player under the age of 30, surpassing Reggie White.
Garrett is the first player in NFL history to record at least 14 sacks in four consecutive seasons.
He has a Hall of Fame resume having just turned 30 years old on Dec. 29.
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