The NFL Honors recognized several outstanding athletes on Thursday night, handing out yearly awards to the best of the best. However, that wasn’t necessarily the case for every award.
Browns DE Myles Garrett was named the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and one stat proves the Associated Press got it wrong.
Garrett is the first player to ever win DPOY in a year where he recorded one or fewer sacks over their last six games since sacks became an official stat in 1982, according to TheScore’s Daniel Valente.
This isn’t to say Garrett’s 2023 campaign wasn’t impressive as he totaled 42 tackles, 14 sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defended. But his AFC North division rival, Steelers LB T.J. Watt, should have been the one on stage receiving the award Thursday night.
Watt not only had more tackles (68), sacks (19), passes defensed (eight), interceptions (one), fumble recoveries (three) and touchdowns (one) than Garrett, but the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year registered more sacks in the third quarter in Week 18 alone (two) than Garrett did in the final six weeks of the season (one).
Not only was Watt snubbed of the award, but eight AP voters reportedly did not even have him in their top three finalists either.
So, Watt decided to “play hooky” from the ceremony after becoming aware he came up short of winning the award once again before it was officially announced.
The All-Pro linebacker expressed his frustrations, posting, “Nothing I’m not used to,” on platform X.
The last time Watt came up short of winning Defensive Player of the Year, he followed it up by tying Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record (22.5). So, offenses should beware as Watt will look to get his revenge in 2024 and win his second such award, which he should have won this year.
