Even if quarterbacks were included, Myles Garrett would be the Cleveland Browns MVP right now.
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Myles Garrett has always been a force on the edge but the Cleveland Browns defensive end took his game to another level in 2023. Garrett might not have put up the same numbers he had in the prior two seasons but he drew double-teams at an alarming rate, which freed up the rest of his teammates to make big plays.
He also became a much stronger leader as the Cleveland defense carried an inconsistent offense to an 11-6 campaign and a playoff berth. For his work, Garrett took home the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.
That's why it had to have been the easiest decision ever when Touchdown Wire chose Garrett as the team's "non-QB MVP." The USA Today outlet picked one player — other than the quarterback — who is the most important player for all 32 teams. For the Browns, Cory Kinnan of Browns Wire made the selection, claiming Garrett is an irreplaceable player who forces teams to gameplan against him.
"No player in the NFL draws as much attention as he does from a gameplanning perspective on the defensive side of the ball the way that Garrett does. Consistently racking up double-digit sack seasons, Garrett is one-of-one and is not a replaceable player on the football field. "
- Cory Kinnan, Browns Wire
Even if quarterbacks were thrown in the mix, Garrett would be the MVP for the Browns. That's not the norm for most teams but in Cleveland, Deshaun Watson has yet to live up to expectations — and he might never do so. He's also replaceable, which we saw when Joe Flacco was just as effective under center as Watson was.
Garrett, on the other hand, has exceeded all expectations and there's no one on the roster — or even the NFL — that can do what he does.
