The Browns are a force. And the strongest force on the roster is defensive end Myles Garrett.
He’s a candidate for defensive player of the year. Considering the current status of the league (with many quarterbacks injured and not many standing out), Garrett also could be a candidate for MVP.
It’s not crazy. It has happened twice before, with Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page in 1971 and Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986. Could Garrett be the third? If the Browns end up winning the division — and definitely if they capture the No. 1 seed — Garrett should get votes.
I invited him to make his case for the league MVP award during a phone conversation after Sunday’s 13-10 win over the Steelers.
“I let my game speak with all that,” Garrett said. “I’m not worried about all the votes and where the awards go. At the end of the day, our goal is to win it all, is to win that Super Bowl. If anything else comes with that, that’s the cherries on top, but looking forward to continuing to try to win this division and bring a championship to Cleveland.”
Does he ever let the possibility of winning such an award cross his mind?
“No,” Garrett said. “I just want to continue to help my team however I can. Make plays when we need them, do my assignment, execute, be there for my guys, support, lead, and have fun. All that goes together and having fun is — there’s no greater fun than winning and I wanna be a key part of that.”
He is. And it’s one of the reasons why, if the Browns keep winning, he will be an MVP candidate. And he just might win it.