In a historic moment for the National Football League (NFL), Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, famously known as the 'Sack King', has shattered the league's long-standing single-season sack record. The monumental feat was achieved during Week 18's clash against the Cincinnati Bengals.
A Historic Sack Seals the Record
The record-breaking moment came in the fourth quarter when Garrett sacked Bengals' star quarterback Joe Burrow. This crucial play took his season tally to an unprecedented 23 sacks, officially breaking the NFL record. The 29-year-old superstar has now surpassed the previous joint record of 22.5 sacks, held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (set in 2001) and Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt (equaled in 2021).
Ja'Marr Chase's Controversial Take on the Celebration
While Garrett's achievement was celebrated by the Browns, it sparked controversy from the opposing sideline. Bengals' star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase expressed his frustration with how the officials handled the subsequent celebration. In a post-game interaction with reporters, Chase was questioned about the incident where he appeared to be pointing down the field as the Browns celebrated.
"I never knew that you could let the whole team get on your field…that’s like me catching my 10th pass and the whole team running on a field. We’re gonna get flagged," Chase stated. He congratulated Garrett but insisted, "You can’t do that… they gotta call a flag when they play."
Confusion Over Game Stoppage
The exchange grew more intriguing as the reporter revealed that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor had said the officials decided to stop the game to allow the celebration, without informing the coaching staff. A surprised Chase responded, "What do you mean, stop the game?"
After the reporter clarified it was to "let them celebrate the moment," the 25-year-old, five-time Pro Bowler gave a pointed reply. "Oh [---]. I hope, oh, well, they better stop the game when I do something in my back in. That’s all I got to say about that one," he declared, highlighting a perceived inconsistency in the officiating.
Chase further explained that the extended celebration affected the Bengals' tempo, stating, "We’re just trying to hurry up, too… We couldn’t even hurry up. The refs were looking at us like we did something wrong the whole time." When asked if the referees provided an explanation, the LSU Tigers alumnus retorted, "No, do y’all interview the refs?"
This historic game has now etched Myles Garrett's name into the NFL record books forever, while simultaneously opening a debate on game management and consistency in officiating during milestone moments, as voiced by Ja'Marr Chase.
