Myles Garrett walked into Lincoln Center as the author of the NFL’s first 23-sack season. He left with two ESPYS and another place in football history.
The Cleveland star won Best Record-Breaking Performance after passing the 22.5-sack benchmark shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. A bigger breakthrough followed when he became the first defender to win Best NFL Player. Garrett beat Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in a finalist field packed with offensive stars.
Timing added another layer to the night. Garrett recorded every sack in a Browns uniform before the Rams acquired him in a blockbuster June 1 trade. Los Angeles sent Jared Verse and three premium draft picks to Cleveland for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. His ESPYS sweep closed one chapter while raising expectations for the next.
Garrett reached 23 sacks through constant extra attention
Garrett’s record did not come from free runs at quarterbacks or favorable protection schemes.
Opposing offenses used a league-high 139 chip blocks against him during the 2025 season. Running backs and tight ends struck him before releasing into routes. Tackles widened their sets to handle his first step. Quarterbacks tried to speed up their internal clocks.
None of it worked often enough.
Across 17 starts, Garrett finished with 23 sacks, 60 total tackles and a league-leading 33 tackles for loss. He attacked the pocket with power, then punished tackles who leaned too heavily toward his outside rush by cutting sharply inside.
His Week 8 performance against New England captured the force and speed behind those numbers. Garrett sacked Drake Maye five times, setting a Cleveland single-game record. From the edge, he drove through blockers, cut inside when tackles overset and kept hunting whenever Maye escaped the first wave of pressure.
New England knew where Garrett was lining up. The Patriots still could not keep him out of the backfield. One fan joked that by the third sack, Maye was scanning the field with “the terrified, wide-eyed look of a medieval English peasant watching a Viking longship pull up onto the sand.”
“Committing two people to him, and him still affecting the quarterback, is obviously impressive,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. “Just size, speed, athleticism. It’s impressive, and it’s hard.”
Vrabel’s assessment summed up the problem Garrett presented all season. Extra bodies could slow his first move, but they rarely removed him from the play.
By Week 18, Garrett had recorded sacks against 11 different quarterbacks. His 23rd came against Joe Burrow, pushing him beyond Strahan and Watt rather than leaving him tied with them. That final takedown finished a season built on repeated pressure, not one isolated burst.
Best NFL player win divides the internet
Garrett’s record was easy to respect. Deciding whether it made him the NFL’s best player was where the argument began.
Few questioned his Best Record-Breaking Performance award. The debate centered on whether a dominant edge rusher deserved Best NFL Player over several leading offensive candidates.
Supporters saw the result as overdue recognition for defense. Garrett changed blocking assignments, shortened passing windows and forced offenses to account for him before every snap.
Other viewers pointed to the strength of the finalists. Stafford had won the 2025 AP NFL Most Valuable Player award. Smith-Njigba earned AP Offensive Player of the Year, while Maye emerged as an MVP finalist after leading New England’s resurgence.
Each had a strong case based on production and team success. Garrett offered something different: the most significant individual defensive record of the season.
That split reflected the nature of the ESPYS. Fans decide the winners, so historical moments and public impact can carry as much weight as traditional measures of value. Voters chose the record-breaker.
Garrett shares the moment with girlfriend Chloe Kim
Garrett’s girlfriend, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, joined comedian Tiffany Haddish to surprise him with the Best Record-Breaking Performance award. The audience responded warmly as Kim walked onstage and shared the moment with him.
During his speech, Garrett thanked his parents and athletic siblings for supporting him through the demands of the season. He also acknowledged Kim, a five-time ESPY winner whose appearance gave the ceremony a more personal edge.
For Garrett, the presentation connected two parts of his life. The trophy recognized the most productive pass-rushing campaign in NFL history. Kim’s presence allowed him to celebrate beside someone who understands the demands of elite competition.
His Best NFL Player victory carried broader football significance. Fans had selected him over every other NFL nominee, regardless of position. That decision did not end the debate, but it confirmed how far his season reached beyond Cleveland.
The Rams trade raises the stakes for Garrett
Garrett now takes that reputation to a team built around championship expectations.
The Rams paid heavily to acquire him. Cleveland received Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round selection and a 2029 third-round choice. Los Angeles made the deal knowing Garrett will turn 31 during the coming season, but his recent production gives the organization little reason to view him as a declining veteran.
Across the past five seasons, Garrett leads the NFL with 83 sacks and 218 quick pressures. He enters his 10th season with 125.5 career sacks, already the fourth-highest total by a player through his first 10 years.
His Texas A&M background remains part of the story, but his professional résumé now stands on its own. Garrett entered the NFL as the first overall pick in 2017 and spent nine seasons proving Cleveland made the correct decision. During that run, he earned five first-team All-Pro selections, reached seven Pro Bowls and recorded double-digit sacks in eight consecutive seasons.
Los Angeles did not trade for a ceremonial star. The Rams acquired the league’s most productive pass rusher at the height of his influence.
Mixed reactions to Garrett’s Best NFL Player award will continue because Stafford, Maye and Smith-Njigba all produced worthy seasons. His ESPYS double still marked a meaningful shift. For once, the defender wrecking the play received the same spotlight as the players holding the football.
READ MORE: Why Joe Thomas Perfectly Captures Cleveland’s Brutal Myles Garrett Trade Pain
FAQS
Q1. How many ESPYS did Myles Garrett win in 2026?
Garrett won two awards: Best Record-Breaking Performance and Best NFL Player.
Q2. What NFL record did Myles Garrett break?
He recorded 23 sacks in 2025, breaking the 22.5-sack mark shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
Q3. Why was Garrett’s Best NFL Player award historic?
He became the first defensive player to win Best NFL Player in ESPYS history.
Q4. Who presented Myles Garrett with his record-breaking ESPY?
His girlfriend, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, presented the award alongside comedian Tiffany Haddish.
Q5. What did the Rams trade for Myles Garrett?
Los Angeles sent Jared Verse and three premium draft picks to Cleveland for Garrett.
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