Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett thinks the MVP award has become a quarterback-only honor. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year aired his frustrations during an appearance on Micah Parsons’ podcast this week.
Garrett broke the NFL single-season sack record with 23 in 2025, yet he was not named a finalist for MVP. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won the award Feb 6, beating New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye by just five points.
“They are saying that, um, a defensive player can’t win MVP, and we don’t affect winning enough,” Garrett told Parsons on the podcast. The Browns pass rusher added that quarterbacks “have the ball in their hand pretty much every play.”
A quarterback has won MVP for 13 straight seasons. Only two defensive players have ever won the award since the 1966 merger. Lawrence Taylor claimed it in 1986 while Alan Page took the honor in 1971.
Myles Garrett Shares Pro Bowl Achievement Amid Exploding Trade Rumors
Myles Garrett Shares Pro Bowl Achievement Amid Exploding Trade Rumors (Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)
Bleacher Report posted the conversation on social media Monday.
Myles Garrett says NFL MVP is “too easily handed” to QBs
Full interview: https://t.co/oJC6wXjzzX pic.twitter.com/9VKQoESY73
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 10, 2026
Garrett’s Record Season Not Enough To Crack Top Five
The Browns star finished with 33 tackles for loss and 39 quarterback hits in 2025. His tackles for loss ranked second-most in the NFL over the past 25 years.
Garrett surpassed Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, who co-held the previous record at 22.5 sacks. He recorded the milestone sack against Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow in the final game of the season.
The Associated Press named five MVP finalists: Stafford, Maye, Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, and Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey was the only non-quarterback besides Garrett to finish in the top five voting.
Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He received 24 first-place votes compared to Maye’s 23. Allen got two first-place votes while Justin Herbert received one.
The Browns finished 5-12 in 2025, which likely hurt Garrett’s MVP case. However, Garrett argued that defense has determined the playoffs this year more than quarterback play.
Seattle’s Defense Highlighted Garrett’s Point About Defensive Impact
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) talk between plays in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.
The Seattle Seahawks defense held the Patriots to 13 points in Super Bowl LX on Sunday. New England’s offense struggled despite having Maye, who finished second in MVP voting.
“I feel like QB has MVP on lock,” Garrett said. He believes the award has lost credibility because voters default to quarterbacks regardless of how dominant defensive players perform.
Garrett won his second Defensive Player of the Year award at NFL Honors on Feb 6. He told Parsons that winning MVP remains his next mission.
The 29-year-old has logged at least 14 sacks in five consecutive seasons, which is an NFL record. He has more career sacks before turning 30 than any player in league history.
A non-quarterback last won MVP in 2012 when Adrian Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards. McCaffrey finished fourth in this year’s voting despite winning Comeback Player of the Year.
It’s a growing sentiment among defensive stars. The MVP criteria heavily favors quarterbacks who compile large statistical totals even when defensive players put together historic campaigns.
Whether the voting structure will change no one can tell. For now, defensive players continue to battle an uphill fight for recognition in the MVP race despite their impact on winning games.