After 25 years, the NFL single-season sack record held by New York Giants Hall of Famers Michael Strahan and TJ Watt was broken by Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett on Sunday.
Strahan, now the host of Fox’s “NFL Sunday,” had a light-hearted yet pointed reaction when he saw his mark being surpassed.
“I mean, I hold the record for a 16-game season. They don’t have the record for a 17-game season. That’s the result. You can’t compare a 12-game season record to a 16- and 17-game season record. That doesn’t work,” Strahan said on the Fox broadcast.
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He then turned around and praised the new record holder.
“But I look at it this way: There are always generations that I love – this young man is so good. Absolutely good. I know he still has a lot of sacks left in him. He’s 30 years old. I think I have as many sacks after 30 as Bruce Smith, Reggie White, if not more. I think he’s just getting started,” Strahan said.
“He’s just looking for his own improvement, and you don’t know how hard it is to do that on a team that’s not always ahead, not always competitive. I think that’s the most amazing thing about him. He’s done it on a team that has him as the focal point. He’s the guy who gets doubles and triples every time, but that’s never stopped him from going out and getting good results year in and year out…
“This kid is so good, I really just hope he gets to go to a team — hopefully Cleveland and sign a long-term contract there — and win and give him a chance to get the ultimate thing in this game, a team game, which is a Super Bowl.”
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Strahan set a record with 22.5 sacks in 2001, his last sack coming against Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. The Hall of Famer went on to reach the Super Bowl and win the title with the Giants in what is widely considered the biggest upset in Super Bowl history — just as he now hopes Garrett will enter the second half of his career as the new record holder.
Strahan held the record from 2001 to 2021, and Watt tied it. As Strahan pointed out, Garrett needed one extra game — his 17th of the season — to eclipse that achievement.
Garrett had 13 sacks in four games earlier this season, five of which he broke on Sunday. At his current level, he may threaten his new record in the future. However, as Garrett himself emphasized this past offseason, his ultimate goal remains to win a Super Bowl.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wired: Michael Strahan’s reaction to Myles Garrett breaking sack record is hilarious