Myles Garrett sacks record live updates: Browns DE chases NFL history
- - Myles Garrett sacks record live updates: Browns DE chases NFL history
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAYJanuary 4, 2026 at 10:05 AM
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It all comes down to this for Myles Garrett and his pursuit of NFL history.
The Cleveland Browns defensive end will only have Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals to set the NFL single-season sack record. After getting out to a fast start, Garrett is stuck on 22 after being blanked last week in the penultimate game of the regular season. That leaves him a half-sack behind the mark held by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
Now, his hopes of entering the record book hinge on a takedown of Joe Burrow, whom Garrett has sacked 11 times in his career. That's tied for first with Lamar Jackson in Garrett's career.
Despite his chase coming down to the wire, Garrett isn't concerned about coming up short again.
“My confidence hasn’t waivered,” Garrett said Friday. “I’m fully confident that it will come.”
USA TODAY Sports will have live updates of Garrett's chase on Sunday, so check back here throughout the day for more:
Will Myles Garrett break NFL sack record against Bengals?
Garrett certainly knows how to corral Burrow given his history of reaching the Bengals gunslinger. But even more important for the defensive end's odds could be the quarterback's approach.
After the Pittsburgh Steelers repeatedly chipped Garrett and reverted to quick-hit throws to neutralize his threat, Burrow said this week that the Bengals wouldn't reconfigure their game plan to avoid ending up on the wrong side of NFL history.
"I'm certainly not going to overcompensate either way," Burrow said. "I'm not going to go out of my way to not let him get the record, and I'm not going to go out of my way to let him get the record either. I'm going to go and play football.
"There's going to be situations that a sack is the best of the bad outcomes of that play, and maybe I take one and there's going to be other situations that I'm about to get sacked and I need to throw it away in that situation. It's such a situational game that I don't think you can go in thinking one way or the other. Every play is so different."
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said that preparing for the Browns necessitates taking a long look at how to prevent Garrett from wrecking a game.
“Our plan has never been any different. You want to limit his effectiveness," Taylor said. "He makes as much of an impact on the game as any player in the NFL. Period. You think about 95 in your head every second of every week you’re playing the Cleveland Browns. You have to be ready for him.”
makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
">Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/fo8okmfdHRvDHl_AjAyGtw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/ece3b009de0e7aba961c9dfc2585f6aa class=caas-img>
1 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
Who holds the NFL single-season sack record?
Michael Strahan first set the mark in 2001, and T.J. Watt later equaled it in 2021. The former set the mark in 16 games, while the latter played 15 games in a 17-game season.
Myles Garrett stats -
Sacks: 22
Tackles: 59
Forced fumbles: 3
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Myles Garrett sacks record updates: Stats, highlights on Browns DE
Source: “AOL Sports”
