DE Myles Garrett has officially done what no player has since the 2001 season when the NFL single-season sack record was set – break it.

With about five minutes left in the fourth quarter against the Bengals, Garrett broke past OL Orlando Brown Jr. and wrapped his arms around QB Joe Burrow to bring him down for the sack.

With his first sack on Burrow, Garrett recorded his 23rd sack of the 2025 season in Week 18 and broke the NFL single-season sack record. He surpassed Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, with Strahan originally setting the record at 22.5 sacks during the 2001 season and Watt tying the record in 2021.

"Every game I'm in awe of him of what he can do and how special he is, but this year it's definitely been special," defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire said.

Garrett believed throughout the season he was capable of breaking the record. Each week he fought through chip blocks, double teams and triple teams from opposing offenses in their efforts to slow him down.

Yet, Garrett still found a way.

"I don't even think about it as a want – I just think about something that I'm going to knock down," Garrett said on Nov. 28. "It's already been written in my mind that it's going just how far I'm going to take it. So, just going to go out there and do what I do, and whatever number I end up at."

Garrett capped off this season with a historic milestone and added to the other accolades he earned along the way. He also broke the Browns single-season sack record that he set in 2021 and tied in 2022. He 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, as well set the record for the most sacks by a player under the age of 30.

Garrett had three games this season with at least three sacks, with his best game of the season against the Patriots in Week 8 with five sacks. His five sacks in Week 8 not only set a season-high, but also broke his own Browns' record for the most sacks in a game. Garrett recorded at least a half of a sack in nine straight games, the longest streak of his career.

"Having these games that he's been having lately, it's like the sky is really the limit," DT Maliek Collins said on Nov. 24. "Whatever he put his mind to he can achieve. I see the little personal notes he writes himself. I see how he comes in and the type of positivity he speaks with. Just the things that he wants to accomplish in his career. I don't think I've ever been around a more driven person in my career or played with a more driven person just based on how he goes about his days, how infatuated he is with getting to the quarterback, but also just with his all-around play and his lifestyle in general, the way he takes care of his body."

Going back to the offseason, Cesaire saw Garrett take his preparation to another level, with a more focused and purpose-driven offseason. He watched how Garrett did not lose a rep in one-on-ones all throughout training camp, moving at full speed with each snap.

During those early weeks of camp, Cesaire thought to himself that Garrett was preparing to have a special season.

"Preseason, camp, all those joint practices, it was personal for him," Cesaire said. "He was going out there to prove, I think to himself, just how good he can be. And what I mean, he didn't lose a one-on-one rep. And I was just excited for the buildup of the upcoming season because I was like wow. I was just looking around at the guys that we already had out there and how we were playing in rushing because I can't wait until we get Myles and see what he can do this year. And he's just kind of exceeded my expectations on how to play this game."

Cesaire has believed all along Garrett would break the sack record. He joked with Garett that this would be the season he would break the record, and he had Garrett write down on the board in the defensive line room a total for the season. At first, the number was 24. Then, they changed the number to 25.

"I'm happy for him, not just because of the person he is, but just by the way he works," Cesaire said. "We put a premium on working hard in this room and doing things the right way, and he does that every single day."

As Garrett reflected weeks before he broke the record, he highlighted how the individual accolade comes with the support of his teammates surrounding him. With the mindset that the defensive line moves as one unit, the effort and success of Collins, DT Mason Graham, DE Alex Wright or DE Isaiah McGuire created opportunities for Garrett to reach opposing quarterbacks.

"I wouldn't be here in the position I'm in to even challenge the record without them," Garrett said on Nov. 28. "Those guys have helped elevate my game, and hopefully I've helped elevate them as well. The level of chemistry and synergy that we've been rolling with, especially after the (Minnesota) Vikings, after the (Pittsburgh) Steelers, I think I got back healthy, and guys were feeling good and we've really been playing up to our potential since then."

Teammates and coaches alike have expressed their utmost support and admiration of what Garrett has accomplished throughout the season. While they strived to play their role in the overall success of the Browns' defense, they also provided their support in helping Garrett reach a historic milestone.

"When it comes to Myles, we're 1,000 percent all in to do whatever it takes to get Myles to that point," safeties coach Ephraim Banda said on Dec. 5. "We talk about it in the room. Let's get him off the first look, let's get him off the second look, so Myles can get to this record that's historic and it's a team deal. We're all wanting to do that with him, for him."

While the much of the focus throughout the 2025 season has surrounded Garrett's sack numbers, head coach Kevin Stefanski and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz continuously shared their praise for Garrett's effectiveness in how he defends against the run.

Cesaire added Garrett's role in stopping the run creates opportunities for the defense to pass rush and reach the quarterback. Heading into Week 18, Garrett also lead the league with 32 tackles for loss.

As Garrett breaks one NFL record, he held onto the mindset of trying to help the Browns win.

"I want to be remembered as one of the very best at the position, and that includes being well-rounded, in the run and pass," Garrett said. "I know the record for TFL's is 39 and I feel like I can go and challenge that – that's not out of reach either. So, got to continue this level of play and elevate and pick it up as much as I can. So, as much as people want to see me break the sack record, I think there are other things out there which I want to achieve, and I think will help the team win."