Myles Garrett breaks NFL sack record as fans accuse scorer of ‘changing the rules’ to help Browns star

Jan 4, 2026 - 21:30
Myles Garrett breaks NFL sack record as fans accuse scorer of ‘changing the rules’ to help Browns star

Myles Garrett is the new holder of the single-season NFL sack record, but some fans aren’t happy.

The Cleveland Browns superstar overtook all-time leaders Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt with his 23rd of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Garrett was forced to wait until the final quarter of the season[/caption]
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His teammates held him aloft in wild celebrations[/caption]

Garrett got over the line with an impressive takedown of Joe Burrow.

In Week 16, the Browns icon was controversially awarded 0.5 sacks after Josh Allen gave himself up under pressure near his own goalline.

Cleveland rookie Mason Graham was initially awarded the stat having been the last man to touch the Buffalo Bills star, but the scorer decided to take another look and gave it to Garrett and Alex Wright, who were both in pursuit.

Garrett was determined to break the record by taking down Aaron Rodgers, but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ entire Week 17 game plan seemed to be avoiding being sacked by No. 95.

Burrow proved equally elusive through three quarters, making sure he always knew where the elite defender was.

But he finally got his man in the fourth, with dad Lawrence bagging a front row seat holding a huge camera.

Mom Audrey was also in the stadium and both parents were seen celebrating wildly after the mark was reached.

Bengals reporter Charlie Goldsmith sprinkled a little more controversy into the mix when he questioned whether the celebrations should have been flagged.

“Should the refs have called the post-snap penalty as the celebration spilled onto the field? A really interesting debate. The refs showed grace in the record setting moment,” he wrote on X.

The NFL sack record has always been controversial.

Garrett is putting together a case to be declared the greatest pass rusher of all time
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Garrett enjoyed a historic milestone despite a miserable season for the Browns

Strahan has been at the center of a two-decade beef as Mark Gastineau claimed Brett Favre deliberately let the New York Giants icon sack him to go clear.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans also believe that their man Watt should have the outright lead, insisting that he was robbed by the scorer.

Myles Garrett warns Browns he needs more

The history books will read Garrett, however, and the Browns star is going straight into the Hall of Fame alongside Strahan when he retires.

He still has plenty of work to do before then and is adamant he won’t stick around for a rebuild.

“I’m committed to winning,” he explained. “As long as the team and organization are doing so and committed to that same thing, I’m all on board.

“If we’re thinking anything other than winning — tanking or rebuilding — that’s not me.”

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