It might feel far fetched to think Myles Garrett could win back to back Defensive Player of the Year honors considering the Cleveland Browns' record from 2024. However, for every doubt you might have about his ability to achieve this, there's a new award given to him for his defense that reels you back into the delusion that he could actually pull it off.
Garrett continues to rack up wins this offseason, this time gaining an award from Sporting News as he was named Defensive Player of the Year with their site. The award was voted on by actual players and coaches around the league in a poll sent out by Sporting News, with ballots due before early January.
The fact that players and personell have voted for Garrett to get these honors yet again signals that there's a genuine chance that he could win the NFL's award for DPOY, which is set to be announced on February 6.
Garrett continues to build case for 2nd DPOY in a row
Garrett has now won multiple recognitions for his defense from 2024, including a DPOY award from PFF, an All-Pro first team naming for his defense, and a final spot on the list of candidates for the NFL's DPOY award. He's clearly recognized around the league as one of the most dominant players in the NFL, and despite the Browns' record, he's still being given his flowers.
His fourth season in a row with 14 or more sacks was a first in league history, essentially cementing himself as a future Hall of Famer by achieving the feat. While he didn't win the sack record, he still managed to have some stellar performances this year with multiple sacks in a game.
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He's going to have some extremely stiff competition for the league award. Other finalists include Super Bowl-bound Zach Baun, Trey Hendrickson, T.J. Watt, and Pat Surtain II. The field is stacked, although Garrett was statistically the better pass rusher over Hendrickson, Watt, and Baun this season.
Garrett's had a bit of a strange offseason as its pertained to the Browns and their future moves. While he seemed primed to press them on their poor choices at quarterback the last few seasons, namely putting all of their eggs into the basket of Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
But, it's obvious that his presense and play are both needed for this team to succeed. And, if he locks up yet another DPOY award from the league, then it's made even more clear that Cleveland needs to be serious about surround a prime Garrett with talent to match.