The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 of the 2025 season, but there are a couple of wrinkles going into this matchup. The Steelers are on the cusp of clinching the AFC North title, which would create a playoff berth for Pittsburgh. They can clinch said playoff spot with the Baltimore Ravens losing to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, or with a win in Cleveland on Sunday. The game can be of the utmost importance to Pittsburgh, or it could be completely inconsequential, as the Steelers are essentially locked into the four-seed in the AFC if they were to win their division.
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Steelers’ Mike Tomlin coaching his unit during a game against the Cleveland Browns.
Pittsburgh could have the opportunity to sit some starters against Cleveland on Sunday if Baltimore loses to Green Bay the night before. That could line up some interesting matchups. Browns’ Myles Garrett is on the brink of breaking the single-season sack record, and that feat could be accomplished against Pittsburgh. If Pittsburgh already has a spot in the playoffs locked up, there is a chance that Mason Rudolph would start on Sunday against the Browns. Garrett was asked about that matchup during his media availability on Friday.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of history between the two of us,” Garrett said. “But whether I get it against him, I get it against Aaron [Rodgers], it makes no difference to me as long as it gets got.”
Garrett needs just half a sack to break TJ Watt’s record that he has along with Michael Strahan. There is a good chance he is able to break that record against Pittsburgh on Sunday, which is something that the Steelers do not want to see happen. However, the sack could come against Rudolph or against Aaron Rodgers, depending on the outcome of the game on Saturday night.
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Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers evades Myles Garrett during a win over the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium during the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh players do not want to see the sack record get broken against them, and the same can be said for former players. A record like that being broken is a big deal regardless of the circumstances, but the fact that the record could be broken with Garrett bringing down Rudolph adds some fire to the story. The two most definitely have a long history, regardless of what Garrett says.
In Week 11 of the 2019 season, Rudolph was playing quarterback for Pittsburgh. Near the end of the game, a brawl broke out between Rudolph and Garrett. The Steelers were going to lose the game regardless, but Garrett hit Rudolph late which sparked a confrontation. Rudolph retaliated a little bit, and Garrett removed the quarterback’s helmet, and then hit him over the head with it. The act was disgusting and frowned upon by many people within the NFL world. His quarterback and head coach both shamed him for the incident during their time with the media. Garrett wound up being suspended indefinitely, which wound up being for the rest of the 2019 season. He was also fined for his actions.
The fact that Garrett could now break the single-season sack record, which is currently partially held by a Steelers player, brings this whole thing full circle. It is unclear if Rudolph would even start the game on Sunday if the Steelers have already clinched the AFC North, but the possibility of that happening makes the game a lot more interesting.
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Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) laughs during minicamp in Berea, Ohio, Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Steelers Will Do Anything To Prevent Myles Garrett From Breaking TJ Watt’s Record
There has been an obvious positional rivalry between Garrett and Watt ever since the two entered the league back in 2017. The rivalry between the two teams on top of that makes things pretty intense. The Steelers have reportedly told their players to not allow Garrett to get a sack by any means necessary. This means taking a holding penalty, or any other sort of violation rather than a sack.
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