Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett added another accolade to his resume on Thursday, further cementing his legacy with yet another significant honor.
Garrett has been named The Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. His peers around the league vote on the award. Garrett is the first repeat Defensive Player of the Year winner since former Houston Texans pass-rusher J.J. Watt did so in 2014-15.
Garrett is also the first Browns player to be The Sporting News Player of the Year in consecutive seasons since RB Jim Brown in 1957 and 1958, per the Browns.
The Browns announced the honor in a post on social media.
“Clear room on that trophy shelf, Myles!” the post read. “Myles Garrett has been voted
The Sporting News 2024 Defensive Player of the Year! It’s the second straight year his peers have selected him for this honor.”
Myles Garrett Continues to Produce at Elite Level for Browns
Cleveland stumbled to a 3-14 but Garrett continued to produce at an All-Pro level. He notched 14 sacks — second most in the NFL — with 28 quarterback hits, 22 tackles for loss and 84 quarterback pressures.
“(If you) look at the pressure numbers and the times that he’s getting double teamed and slides are going his way, that’s the piece to me that I think is so impressive and remarkable is he’s doing all this with getting all of the attention from the other team,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Jan. 2. “It’s like a degree of difficulty that he’s able to lead the league in sacks and tackles for loss with all that attention. It should be impossible. So, that just speaks to the caliber he’s playing at.”
This honor is not part of The Associated Press’ Defensive Player of the Year, which will be announced at the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 6. Garrett is a finalist along with Philadelphia Eagles LB Zack Baun, Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II and Pittsburgh Steelers LB T.J. Watt.
Garrett won his first AP Defensive Player of the Year honor last season. Surtain is the favorite to bring home the honor this season.
Browns Eyeing Extension With Myles Garrett
Garrett made some public comments at the end of the season that put pressure on the front office. He said that he’s not interested in being part in the rebuild and wanted to see a plan from the Browns’ brass to turn things around.
“I want that to be apparent, when the season’s over and we have those discussions, I want them to be able to illuminate that for me, illustrate that for me, so that (winning) can be something that I can see in the near future,” Garrett said. “Because that’s all we want to do.”
Some speculated that Garrett could demand a trade. However, Browns general manager Andrew Berry has made it very clear that won’t be happening. Berry has been adamant that the Browns don’t want Garrett to wear another uniform during his NFL career.
“I think you can assume that we do anticipate at some point doing a third contract with Myles,” Berry recently told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We want him to retire here.”
