Browns Star Reacts To Reaching Historic Career Milestone

Myles Garrett recorded his 100th sack in a 24-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, accomplishing the feat in historic fashion

Dec 22, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

It was only a matter of time until Myles Garrett registered his 100th career sack. After several weeks of chasing the feat and coming up empty, he finally got their on Sunday, during the Browns 24-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The timing of the accomplishment is key.

Garrett became the first player in NFL history to reach the 100-sack mark before his 29th birthday. For Garrett, the career milestone was soured by Cleveland's 12th loss of the season. There was someone in who enjoyed the moment for him though.

“It makes my dad (Lawrence) proud,” Garrett said. “That was for daddy. So that’s what it means to me. It doesn’t mean much in a loss, but I get to see him smile and get that accomplishment. He’s been telling me to do it for the last three weeks, so happy to get that one for him.”

Garrett confirmed that his father was in attendance at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati to see him finish off the latest herculean accomplishment of a Hall of Fame career in the making. Garrett is just the 45th player since sacks became an official stat in 1982 to reach the 100-sack plateau.

Getting there puts him in the same club as many all-time greats. From J.J. Watt. To Aaron Donald. Dwight Freeney, Michael Strahan and the all-time sack leader Bruce Smith. Of the legends Garrett gets measured with though, no name carries more weight than Lawrence Taylor.

Garrett's 100th sack was also his 12th of the season, which put him into an even more exclusive club. He and Taylor are the only players in NFL history to register 12 or more sacks in five consecutive seasons. That note caught the reigning Defensive Player of the Year off guard.

“Didn’t know about all that,” Garrett said of the accomplishment. “That’s great company to be with. Definitely one of the guys I looked up to, as an athlete, as a football player coming up along my way, and still watch clips and watch his tenacity against the edge and all that.”

On the heels of Garrett suggesting that he could end up playing elsewhere on Friday, Garrett did mention a caveat to sharing such a monumental accomplishment with Taylor.

“That’s a nice accomplishment, but we remember LT because he won,” said Garrett. “He did all those things, and I want to get to winning.”

Taylor's resume is well-documented. He's a two-time Super Bowl champion and a league MVP. He wants what Taylor has, which is why he used his platform on Friday to send a bold message to the organization.

Realized by phone connect mic had bad audio. Here's the clip of Myles talking about reaching 100 sacks, and joining LT as the only players with 12+ sacks in 5 straight seasons pic.twitter.com/vzTCSxx2hw

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) December 22, 2024

“First of all, I want to win,” he said. “I want the Browns to be able to put me and us in position to win. I’m not trying to rebuild. I’m trying to win right now. I want that to be apparent when the season’s over and we have those discussions. I want them to be able to illuminate that for me, illustrate that for me, so that can be something I can see in the near future."

It was the first time in his eight-year career that he left the door open on possibly wearing a different uniform, however that's not the outcome he wants.

After the game, the former No. 1 pick made it clear that conversations about the direction of the franchise will come after the season. However, his comments were bolstered with a little extra punch on a day where he continued his ascent up the NFL record books.