Browns star Myles Garrett is just the second player ever to win the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award unanimously after setting a new record with 23 sacks.

SAN FRANCISCO — Even with the Browns finishing 5-12, there was little doubt as to who would be the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for 2025.

That’s how dominant Myles Garrett was.

The 30-year-old pass-rusher was named DPOY by The Associated Press Thursday night at the NFL Honors in San Francisco. It was Garrett’s second such award in three years, and this time, he did so unanimously, collecting all 50 first-place votes.

Garrett’s triumph follows a season that saw him once again assert his superiority among his peers — not just in the present, but in the annals of NFL history. His 33 tackles for loss led the league, and more importantly, his 23 sacks set a new all-time mark for a single season.

In just nine seasons, Garrett has already re-written the Cleveland record books with 125 1/2 career sacks and seven All-Pro nods. In addition to the AP, he was also voted Defensive Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America, The Sporting News, and Pro Football Focus — taking home the latter two accolades for the third year in a row.

Myles Garrett’s record-breaking season made him the unanimous DPOY ⭐️

NFL Honors on NBC/NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus & Peacock pic.twitter.com/rmk1coeY6q

— NFL (@NFL) February 6, 2026

Prior to Garrett, Houston Texans legend J.J. Watt was the only man to win AP DPOY unanimously, doing so when he took home the second of his three such honors. In Browns history, defensive tackle Jerry Sherk previously won the Newspaper Enterprise Association’s version of the award back in 1976, and nose tackle Michael Dean Perry earned the AFC recognition from United Press International in 1989.

Back in Cleveland, Garrett was able to add to his trophy case by winning Professional Athlete of the Year at Thursday’s Greater Cleveland Sports Awards for the third time — putting him behind only LeBron James for the most in the history of that recognition. With Garrett in the Bay Area, Browns general manager Andrew Berry went to Rocket Arena to accept the award on Garrett’s behalf.

Myles Garrett is the 2025 Professional Athlete of the Year, presented by @PhysiciansAmb! The @Browns defensive end set the NFL record with 23 sacks during the 2025 season, also making him the first player in NFL history with six consecutive seasons of at least 12 sacks.… pic.twitter.com/hDLq6t1j1w

— Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (@CLESports) February 6, 2026

Garrett joined Guardians third baseman José Ramírez and Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley as nominees for Cleveland’s Pro Athlete of the Year. Mobley, who himself was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, congratulated Garrett in a video posted to X.

🤝 From one DPOY to another. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/pTvnadNld4

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 6, 2026

Garrett was not the only Brown to take home some hardware at the NFL Honors, as linebacker Carson Schwesinger was also named AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s just the second player in franchise history to win the award.