Micah Parsons removes T.J. Watt from contention following his challenge against Myles Garrett’s DPOY victory.
The NFL’s annual awards often spark debates, but few have been as fiercely contested as Myles Garrett’s win as Defensive Player of the Year for the Cleveland Browns, announced last week.
Garrett, a dominant force in pass-rushing for years, boasts an impressive record, including five Pro Bowl appearances and five All-Pro selections across his seven seasons in the NFL. On February 8, Garrett added the DPOY trophy to his collection, edging out T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys, who finished second and third, respectively.
Debate ignited, particularly on social media, with Pittsburgh supporters arguing that Watt was unfairly overlooked, given he received only 11 first-place votes compared to Garrett’s 23. Watt himself responded succinctly, stating, “Nothing I’m not used to.”
However, Micah Parsons, at 24 years old, refused to stay silent. Critics pointed out that while Garrett secured 14 sacks (ranking 7th in the NFL), Watt led the league with 19 sacks. Parsons countered, emphasizing that statistics alone don’t capture the full impact, urging fans to analyze game footage rather than rely solely on box scores.
In an interview with Zach Gelb of CBS Sports, Parsons reiterated his stance, stating, “I’m not a sore loser.” He expressed his belief that the award should have gone to Garrett, if not himself, highlighting moments like the Titans game where the defensive strategy against Garrett was notably intense, with tight ends shadowing him across the field, a level of attention not seen in Watt’s matchups.
