CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is keeping his eyes on the prize for the 2022 season, looking towards a standout season and having an ultimate personal goal: earning Defensive Player of the Year.
Last season, Garrett broke the record for most defensive sacks by a No. 1 overall NFL draft pick with a total of 58.5.
With breaking the record, it changed the narrative for Garrett to grow as a leader, and ultimately being named a team captain for 2022.
“It means a lot. Being respected by your peers and appreciated for the leadership that I’ve showed and the time that I’ve put in," he said. "These are a special group of guys, some of the best group that I’ve been around and so being honored among them is a really high honor for me.”
In 2021, Garret had 16 solo sacks and 18 assists, totaling 34 altogether. Additionally, he had 31 solo tackles last season.
Growth is an important trait to carry over from one season to another for Garrett, with expectations high for 2022.
“Yes, I always to be growing in my mentality and attitude, how I come and leave work each day,” he said. “So trying to keep that consistency day in and day out and put my money where my mouth is.”
#Browns Myles Garrett on what spoke to him and encouraged him to step up more as a leader: "Our record last year."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) September 9, 2022
Not only does Garrett find himself looking to grow each day, but head coach Kevin Stefanski also views him as a powerhouse player as well.
Even though Garrett holds the record, the DPOY is something that looms in the back of his mind.
“Well to go from no votes to winning, that would be something special and it will definitely be on my mind," said Garrett.
However, the overall goal is to go into each game of the season with a fresh mindset.
“1-0 each week. That’s all that matters. No matter how you get it done or what the score says—as long as we’re up we’re all just moving forward. We don’t have to worry about last week, don’t worry about the next week, just 1-0," said Garrett.
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