NFL Honors 2024: Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett named Defensive Player of the Year

Myles Garrett's season with the Browns was best summarized by what he did in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts. It was, in many ways, his "Mona Lisa" performance.

Garrett recorded two strip sacks of quarterback Gardner Minshew, one of which was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. He also leaped over the Colts line to block a field goal, which led to a postgame question of if it's normal to see a human do what he did.

"If you're me, it's another day at the office," Garrett responded.

That afternoon in Indianapolis summarized what kind of season it turned out to be for the Browns All-Pro defensive end. It was a season for which Garrett was ultimately honored Thursday by winning the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award.

As Garrett accepted the award, he made a vow to have some much larger hardware to hold onto next season.

"It's been a blessing," Garrett said after receiving the award. "And to the city of Cleveland, this one's for you. We're going to bring home something bigger next time."

Garrett beat out Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt for the award. Garrett had 165 votes to Watt's 140.

The twist for Garrett is that he won the award for the first time in a season when his base level statistics — 14 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery — may not have been what they've been in the past. However, the impact he provided for a Browns defense may have been as big as ever.

“Myles Garrett, I'm running out of superlatives for him," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement. "That's what Defensive Player of the Year looks like. What we saw week in and week out, his work at practice, what he provides to this team as a leader. I'm so proud of Myles, and this honor is very well deserved.”

The novice or narrow-minded football fan would look only to sacks, of which Garrett was two below the single-season franchise record he set each of the previous two seasons. They might also point to the one official sack — he had a sack on a 2-point conversion try against Jacksonville — he had over his final six regular-season games and one playoff game.

They would also be missing a whole lot about what made Garrett so important to the Browns' No. 1-ranked defense.

"As far as beating blockers and having success against my matchup," Garrett said before a Week 16 win at Houston, "I think, yes, I'm as successful as I have been in the past. But that doesn't mean I can't take it to another level, doesn't mean I can't find ways to improve or help improve the people around me, my teammates. … But got to continue to get the ball for us and make those plays on defense."

Garrett also was a lot better statistically than the basic numbers show. According to ESPN, his pass rush win rate was at 30%, while he was double teamed by opponents 29% of the time, both of which were second only to the Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons (35% for each).

Watt had a 25% win rate and a 14% double-team rate, the latter stat a benefit of scheme. The Steelers play a 3-4 front, compared to a more 4-3 base look for the Browns.

Garrett also ranked seventh in run win rate at 31%. Neither Parsons or Watt were in the top 10.

"I think I may have said this before, but in my mind the definition of a great defense or a great player is when an opponent starts their game plan with, we're going to take care of this guy, right?" defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said in December. "Like, we're not going to let this guy beat us. And he's still able to be effective and he's still able to play at a high level. … Guys that every week the opponent said, 'This guy's not going to beat us,' and every week that player still made plays.

"So, you know, Myles fits in that category, affects the game, helps other people make plays."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: NFL Honors 2024: Browns' Myles Garrett is Defensive Player of the Year