CLEVELAND, Ohio — The bar has been set impossibly high for Myles Garrett this season. How high? According to Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the NFL’s richest defensive player needs to have his “the best season of his career” - a staggering challenge for someone who’s already won Defensive Player of the Year.
In the latest Orange and Brown Talk podcast, hosts Dan Labbe, Mary Kay Cabot, and Ashley Bastock dissected this bold statement and what it means for the Browns’ superstar defensive end.
“Wow, that’s a tall order. And I thought that was very interesting from Jim Schwartz to put it out there like that, to set that bar or to sort of throw down the gauntlet and basically challenge Myles to have his best season ever,” said Ashley Bastock, reacting to Schwartz’s expectations.
This isn’t just idle coach-speak. As Mary Kay Cabot noted, Schwartz even invoked Spider-Man: “Too much has been given, much is required.” The message is crystal clear - your $40 million per year contract demands superhero-level production.
What exactly would constitute Garrett’s “best year ever?” The podcast team painted a detailed picture: more strip sacks, more forced fumbles, more game-changing plays, and consistent dominance rather than the sporadic brilliance that has characterized his career so far.
“I think he has to dominate a little bit more. More strip sacks, probably, and even more pressure than they’ve gotten in the past,” Cabot explained. “I know they have to get it from other places, but I think they still need a little bit more from Myles, too, because he’s capable of it.”
What makes this conversation fascinating is the paradox at its core: Garrett is already on a Hall of Fame trajectory, yet there’s a palpable sense that he hasn’t reached his ceiling.
“This is going to sound weird because this is a guy that’s won Defensive Player of the Year. When you look at the Pro Football reference page, it still feels like that signature season is still sitting there for him to go get,” Labbe observed.
The hosts pointed to several factors that have prevented Garrett from delivering that defining campaign. Injuries have been a persistent obstacle – from the car accident in 2023 to foot problems in 2024, shoulder issues, COVID-related breathing difficulties, and of course, the infamous suspension.
“Myles hasn’t done that yet,” Bastock noted. “There’s always something, it seems, some form of adversity that Myles has to face.”
The podcast team also discussed concrete benchmarks for Garrett’s potential breakthrough season, including the elusive 20-sack mark that has evaded him despite coming close with 16 sacks previously.
What separates very good players from all-time greats is that signature season – the one that becomes their calling card in NFL history. As Labbe pointed out, when you look at T.J. Watt’s Pro Football Reference page, his 22.5-sack season jumps out. Von Miller has his 18.5-sack season and Super Bowl MVP.
Can Garrett finally put together that complete, wire-to-wire dominant campaign that will define his legacy? The podcast hosts believe it’s there for the taking.
Listen to the full episode of Orange and Brown Talk to hear more about what could unlock Garrett’s ultimate potential and why defensive tackle play might be the key to his most dominant season yet.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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