Cleveland Browns superstar Myles Garrett turned in another masterpiece on Sunday, tormenting Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson with relentless pressure in Week 11. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year finished with four sacks and five tackles for loss—numbers that typically scream “AFC Defensive Player of the Week.”
Yet when the league announced the honor on Wednesday, Garrett’s name was nowhere to be found.
Instead, the award went to Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who posted an eye-popping 20 total tackles in a narrow 16-13 victory over the Washington Commanders. Brooks unquestionably delivered a monster performance, but the decision to overlook Garrett sparked immediate criticism—most notably from future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt.
Taking to X, Watt didn’t hold back.
“The requirement that your team win the game for you to win an individual award is very bizarre,” Watt wrote. “It’s best defensive player of the week. Not best defensive player whose offense also played well this week.”
Watt’s frustration is understandable. Cleveland’s offense continues to struggle mightily, leaving the 2-8 Browns unable to capitalize on Garrett’s dominance and resulting in another loss. But the Defensive Player of the Week is supposed to be an individual accolade, not a consolation prize tied to the final score.
This isn’t the first time Garrett has watched the honor slip away despite historic production. Back in Week 8, Garrett terrorized the New England Patriots for five sacks—yet the AFC award that week also went to… Jordyn Brooks.
Two separate weeks, two jaw-dropping Garrett performances on a losing team, and two awards handed to the same linebacker on a winning squad. The pattern is hard to ignore.
Garrett now sits at 15 sacks through 10 games, on pace for another double-digit season despite constant double- and triple-teams. If the Browns’ offense can’t find a pulse, however, it appears the league’s weekly voters may continue penalizing him for factors entirely outside his control.
When Defensive Player of the Year voting rolls around at season’s end, voters have historically placed more emphasis on film and raw impact than wins and losses. For now, though, Garrett’s quest for even the weekly recognition looks like an uphill climb—so long as Cleveland remains in the loss column.
