There’s a telling sign when any athlete has reached the ultimate in the pop culture zeitgeist.
It comes when they’re invited to sit in the interview chair on the “Tonight Show” on NBC (WKYC Channel 3 locally), no matter who the host is.
Of course, former Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James has appeared on late-night talks shows numerous times and ex-Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” just after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL draft.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has officially reached that next level by sitting next to current host Jimmy Fallon Tuesday (Feb. 4) and facing a playful grilling over claiming the NFL’s single-season sack record in the 2025 season and there’s good reason considering Garrett is the odds-on favorite to win the NFL’s “Defensive Player of the Year” award for the second time in his hall-of-fame career because of his exploits on the field in the 2025 season.
Garrett broke the 25-year-old record formerly held by New York Giants great Michael Strahan and current Pittsburgh Steelers defensive standout T.J. Watt in the final game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals to notch sack No. 23.
Anyone who listened to Garrett in the run up to conquering the record, recognized the professional, calm demeanor he projected throughout the hype surrounding the possibility that he’d claim it. Fallon was surprised by that fact.
Fallon tried unsuccessfully to get Garrett to admit he was worried about not breaking the record.
“If you don’t get a sack, you don’t break the record,” he said to Garrett.
Garrett quickly replied: “I don’t break it this year.”
That was a highlight of the seven-minute segment along with Garrett talking about the telescope-sized camera lens his father took to the game to capture the moment.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns DE Myles Garrett takes seat on ‘The Tonight Show’ on NBC
Reporting by George M. Thomas, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
