CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two members of the Cleveland Browns received major awards at the NFL Honors on Thursday. Defensive end Myles Garrett was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year, while linebacker Carson Schwesinger was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year. The awards recognized their individual performances during the 2025 season.

Garrett earned the defensive player award for the second time in his career. He finished the season with 23 sacks, which set a new NFL record for the most sacks in a single season. Garrett also became the first player in league history to record at least 14 sacks in four straight years.

During a Week 8 game against the New England Patriots, Garrett recorded five sacks. It was the highest number of sacks by any player in one game during the 2025 season. It also set a new franchise record for the Browns.

In addition to his sacks, Garrett led the league with 33 tackles for loss. Coaches credited his success to his preparation and his ability to move quickly at the start of each play. Defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire described Garrett as a competitive leader who focused on helping the team win throughout the year.

Schwesinger is the second player in Browns’ history to be named the Defensive Rookie of the Year. The only other Browns player to win the award was linebacker Chip Banks in 1982. The Browns selected Schwesinger in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft from UCLA.

Schwesinger led all NFL rookies this year with 146 tackles. He also had 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions. He recorded at least 10 tackles in seven different games. This included a six-game streak of double-digit tackles, which was the longest such streak in the league this season.

The success of Garrett and Schwesinger contributed to high rankings for the entire Cleveland defense. The Browns allowed 283.6 total yards per game, which was the fourth-lowest average in the NFL. The team also ranked third in the league for passing defense, allowing 167.2 yards per game.

As a group, the Browns recorded 53 sacks during the season. This was the highest total in franchise history. The team also led the NFL with 117 tackles for loss.

Garrett received several other honors for his performance this season. He was named to the AP All-Pro first team for the fifth time. He also received player of the year awards from the Pro Football Writers of America and Sporting News.