CLEVELAND — Less than 24 hours after being honored locally at the 2024 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards as Professional Athlete of the Year, Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett has added a national accolade to his resume after a dominant 2023 season.
On Wednesday, the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) named Garrett the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.
Garrett stood out above all else in the Browns top-ranked defense that saw a myriad of changes within the player ranks and coaching staff going into the 2023 regular season.
The 2023 Browns, led by Garrett, made a staggering improvement to become No. 1 in total defense in the NFL compared to 2022's unit, which finished 23rd.
Garrett's individual stats for the season included:
- 14 sacks
- 17 tackles for loss
- 30 QB hits
- 4 forced fumbles
- Named first-team All-Pro
- Pro Bowl selection
- Voted to second annual NFLPA Players' All-Pro Team
In 2023, Garrett added to his impressive career accomplishments with the following milestones:
- Seventh player in NFL history with 10 or more sacks in six consecutive seasons (only active player currently)
- Passed Reggie White for most sacks by a player prior to turning 28 years old (87)
Along with Garrett, PFWA named Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson as MVP and San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey as Offensive Players of the Year.