Myles Garrett finally gets NFL single season sack record from Michael Strahan

The NFL has a new single-season record holder for sacks.

Myles Garrett now stands alone in the record books, after his takedown of Joe Burrow on Sunday brought his season total to 23, eclipsing the NFL’s official record of 22.5, held by both Michael Strahan (who set the mark in 2001) and T.J. Watt, who reached 22.5 sacks during the 2021 season.

Garrett entered Week 17 with 22 sacks, one shy of the official record. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to focus on denying Garrett that record in their meeting a week ago, meaning the pass rusher entered the final season of the year needing one more sack to set the record.

Here is how Garrett did that against Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals:

Garrett, after weeks of facing double-teams, finally got a one-on-one opportunity, and he made the most of it. He now stands at the top of the record books.

Garrett had to wait a long time to break the record. He reached the 22-sack mark weeks ago, and since then went more than 130 defensive snaps without a sack. Until today.

If you wanted to see what this moment meant not just to Garrett, but the entire Cleveland defense, watch the celebrations:

It is worth noting that the league did not begin to recognize sacks until 1982, leaving decades of defensive play unaccounted or in the record books. According to league historians and researchers, the unofficial sack record is held by Al Baker of the Detroit Lions, who is credited via box scores with 23 sacks back during the 1978 season.

Last month Baker predicted that Garrett would eclipse his unofficial record as well.

“And I guarantee you he knows Al ‘Bubba’ Baker has 23,” Baker said. “So that’s what he’ll break and that’s what he wants to break.”

Whether Garrett reaches that mark remains to be seen, but now he is the NFL’s new season sack king.