The Cleveland Browns had trouble winning on the field, but by the time of the awards show, they seemed to have it figured out.
EDGE rusher Myles Garrett won the “NFL Defensive Player of the Year” award for the second time as expected and was the second unanimous winner of the award. Second-round draft linebacker Carson Schweizeringer won the “NFL Rookie Defensive Player of the Year” honor.
advertise
Even former Browns consultant Mike Vrabel was named NFL Coach of the Year and will be competing for a league title in a matter of days to lead the New England Patriots in the turnaround the Browns hope to achieve.
Additionally, Garrett received the Deacon Jones Award, which honors the annual sack leader.
Garrett broke the single-season record for most sacks with 23.0. His other stats include 53 pressures, 14 knockdowns, 39 quarterback hits, 60 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 1 pass hit, 3 forced fumbles, 14 hurries and 2 missed tackles. His 33 tackles for loss also led the league.
The Browns received the No. 1 pick in the second round of last year’s NFL draft. General manager Andrew Berry was flooded with calls from other teams looking to trade the pick. Often, many blue-chip players who are designated for the first round end up falling into the second round. Berry is considered a good trader and has already made a big trade in the first round.
Berry, however, stood his ground and chose UCLA’s Schweitzer. Overall, Berry singled out three players who lead the nation in at least one category: Schwarzenegger – with 90 solo tackles, QB Shaddell Sanders – with a 74.0% completion percentage, and TE Harold Fanning, who leads the nation in two categories: catches (117) and total receiving yards (1,555).
advertise
In 2025, Schweitzinger ranked sixth in total tackles with 156. He missed the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals with a quadriceps injury and was placed on the injured list.
Vrabel became the Browns’ coach and personnel advisor in 2024 after failing to land a coordinator or head coaching job this offseason. He was fired by the Tennessee Titans, where he served as head coach for six years. In 2021, he was named NFL Coach of the Year for the first time. Vrabel has three Super Bowl rings as a linebacker with the Patriots, the team he now coaches.
Cleveland, like New England last year, has a new, experienced coach leading the way. Monken’s journey and experiences are different than Vrabel’s, but he still carries that burden. Garrett, Schwestinger, the 2025 NFL Draft, an extra first-round pick in 2026, and Monken should give Browns fans hope moving forward.
The NFL Honors just reminded us of that.
