“It doesn’t just start with me,” Garrett said. “It starts with great teammates, a great organization, great coaches being able to put us in position. I’m thankful for every single one of teammates to help get me up here. It’s not possible without them.”
Finishing runner-up, Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. earned 77 points, followed by Packers disruptor Micah Parsons with 63, Broncos defender Nik Bonitto with 52, and Lions pass-rush candidate Aidan Hutchinson with 42. Garrett’s final regular-season sack against Joe Burrow pushed him past Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, both at 22.5 sacks, for the season record.
The award was one of eight honors to be announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco that night, including the 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player. The MVP field includes Christian McCaffrey, Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, with Maye and McCaffrey also among Offensive Player of the Year finalists; McCaffrey and Lawrence are among Comeback Player of the Year finalists.
Voting was conducted by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league and occurred before the playoffs. Votes were tabulated by the accounting firm Lutz and Carr, with voters naming a top five per award; first-place votes were worth 10 points and 2nd–5th place 5, 3, 2 and 1 points respectively.
In the same ceremony, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels won AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year with 17 of 50 first-place votes and 249 points, while Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph finished second with 10 first-place votes and 176 points.
The AP awards round out eight categories to be announced on Thursday night, underscoring Garrett’s standout season and the Browns’ impact on the defensive side of the ball as NFL Honors continues.
