BEREA, Ohio — Myles Garrett revealed why he set his sack goal for this season at 25, which is etched on his wrist tape in Sharpie marker.
“I set that goal about three years ago for myself,” Garrett revealed Friday. “I had a dream where I had that written on my tape and I was going to get 25. I felt like that was just meant to be.”
The dream is about to become a reality, with Garrett already at a league-high 19 sacks heading into Sunday’s game against the Titans and on pace for 27, which would obliterate the NFL single-season record of 22.5, set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and matched by T.J. Watt in 2021.
Wait, only 25? he was jokingly asked. Doesn’t he have higher expectations for himself?
“Well after 25, I’m just going to write something else,” he said.
The reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Month who’s on a blistering sack-tear, Garrett needs four sacks Sunday to break the record and make NFL history. While it might seem far-fetched to expect a player to get four sacks in one game, for Garrett this season, it’s just another day at the office.
In the past five games alone, he’s notched five sacks against the Patriots and four against the Ravens, and set the five-game NFL record at 14, beating Strahan’s 12.5. It’s been so surreal that Browns guard Joel Bitonio recently joked, “three sacks, it’s a down game for him.”
What’s more, the Titans — with the 27th-best offensive line in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus — have surrendered a league-high 48 sacks this season, allowing their No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward to suffer the same rookie fate as former Browns No. 1 overall pick Tim Couch in 1999 (56), and other top picks.
On two occasions this season, Ward has been sacked six times, and on two others, five. The Browns, remember, took down Geno Smith 10 times two weeks ago, just one shy of the Browns club record of 11.
“I’ll go for four, right?” Garrett said. “But I respect that team over there and what they can do. So I’ve got to make sure we stop the run and earn four opportunities, which that can make that happen.”
Titans three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who leads the team with 6.5 sacks, doesn’t want Garrett setting the record Sunday at Huntington Bank Field.
“You could ask me that question after this game,” he said. “Do I want him to break the sack record? Hell yeah, but let’s just talk about it after the game. … If they need me to go in and try to take out his ribs one time, I’ll do that. But I want to go out there and win. I want to try to get some momentum and some joy back in this place.
“Hopefully he gets it. But I just pray he don’t get it this week.”
Titans starting left guard Peter Skoronski, who might have to hold off Garrett a time or two, says he’s the best in the NFL.
“He’s got all the traits,” he said. “He’s got size, speed, strength. He basically like teleported 4 yards on that sack he had last week (vs. Brock Purdy). So it’s just superhuman.”
Browns safety coach Ephraim Banda revealed that the team is on a mission to help Garrett get the coveted record, one of the lofty goals he stated in 2017 as the No. 1 overall pick out of Texas A&M.
“When it comes to Myles, we’re 1000% all in to do whatever it takes to get Myles to that point,” Banda said. “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.”
Rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham, who’s still looking for his first full sack to go along with his half, will gladly give up his first takedown for Garrett to make history.
“I said it last week,” he said. “I’ve missed sacks and they’ve gone to him. So I always joke with him saying, ‘At least it’s going to a good cause.’ He’s getting closer to the record. I couldn’t care less about me getting sacks as long as he gets the record.”
Graham, who plans on working out in the offseason with Garrett in Dallas, knew “really early” that 25 was the target.
“I kind of figured that would be his goal,” Graham said. “I didn’t expect him to say 23. I knew that he’d want to surpass it in a bigger amount than just that.”
On that “teleported” Purdy sack, Graham did his part.
“It was actually a twist game that we ran,” he said. “He told me he was going to go make an inside move and I just wrapped around him when he was done doing his thing. So we kind of had that planned out, but he beat him really clean.”
So he’s taking credit then?
“No, no credit,” he said with a laugh.
Browns safety Grant Delpit, who needs a few more stats to strengthen his Pro Bowl case, will gift Garrett a sack if he gets home on Sunday.
“I might hold him up and let him get one,” Delpit said. “So if y’all see me hold (Ward) up and let go, just know I’m pointing to Myles saying that’s his, because that doesn’t happen too often. I really want to see him break it as soon as possible so we can get it out the way. But what a legend. Legend.”
His teammates rallying around him has been one of the best parts of nearing the record.
“To even be at this point, it’s all thanks to them,” he said. “I couldn’t do it without the effort and the time they put in to make us this good as a group on defense. We’re as good as we ever have been in my time here, and we’re consistently rushing and stopping the run at a high level. So they’ve created these opportunities. I hope to see us all go out and compete, so it’s not just me. I want to be able to return the favor and allow them to go out and get their numbers as well.”
During the classic clash of two future Hall of Famers last week in Garrett and the 49ers’ Trent Williams, Garrett notched only that one highlight-reel sack, with Williams winning his share of the battles. After the 49ers’ 26-8 victory, the two embraced, with Williams telling him “you’re the best ever.”
“It means a lot,” Garrett said. “He’s one of the best to ever do it. Iron sharpens iron, so I’m glad to be able to go against him and earn his respect and make him have a difficult day.
“He didn’t make it easy on me either, so hopefully when it’s all said and done and we’re in a different place, we can run it back, not in our primes, but I’m glad to get that experience and I look forward to continue to have those kind of moments with people who are coming into the game themselves, with rookies and sophomores, offensive lineman who are also looking to make a name for themselves.”
Williams wasn’t the only future or current Hall of Famer to praise Garrett on Sunday. He also got a shoutout from Strahan himself on the Fox postgame show.
“There is nobody like Myles Garrett,” Strahan said. “I’m truly hoping he breaks this sack record. … Lawrence Taylor is the best defensive player I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. But I think this kid is close, in my opinion.”
The kudos, coming from Strahan, were much appreciated.
“Well, I’m glad he didn’t have the response Eric Dickerson had to Saquon (Barkley, when he didn’t want him to break his rushing record),” Garrett said. “(Strahan) being a friend of mine, it means a lot, and him wanting that for me and wanting the best for me is special. Hoping I can continue to chip away at it and knock it down, make him proud make my family proud and continue just playing ball at a high level, help this team.”
Garrett had already gotten a shoutout from legendary LT before the Raiders game two weeks ago, after he had broken Taylor’s record of five straight seasons with at least 12 sacks, tacking on a sixth.
“Ton of respect for how this dude goes about his business…” Taylor posted on X. “He’s been doing it on another level for a long time now… there’s only so many who truly alter gameplans and keep the other side up @ night. Keep doing your thing Myles !!!!”
Ward knows he’ll have to be aware of where 95 is at all times.
“Probably the best player that there is at that position,” Ward said. “He’s proved that game in and game out. So we have to do our job of not letting him affect the game. Just each and every play try to keep a lid on it.”
Garrett, who can make veteran QBs cower, knows he has a chance to take the rookie to school.
“He’s just got to take his time to experience the flow of the game and the pace of the game and try to analyze things and I think that’s just kind of leading to what it is now,” Garrett said. “He’s talented, he’s a play maker and he has great arm talent. Just the game’s got to slow down a little bit more for him and I think it will in time.”
The favorite to win his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, Garrett reiterated that winning is more important to him than the record, and he’d surrender it for more victories or a chance to go to the playoffs.
“I want it to be in a win,” he said. “If I get 25 or one or if I get none and we win, I’m just glad to have a win. I like to see the smile on the guys’ faces after a win that kind of pressure leaving their shoulders. There’s so much pressure to win right now and as there should be. There should be urgency and guys are expecting to win and I think the sacks help that. So I give that everything I can and settle with the result.”
What does he want the record-breaking sack to look like?
“I don’t care how it looks as long as I get it,” he said. “I want it to look like a game-winner, that’s what I want it to look like.”
And he wants that 25 to come, just like it did in his dream.
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