Did Joe Burrow Give Himself Up To Allow Myles Garrett To Break Sack Record?

The record book was rewritten Sunday when Myles Garrett collected his 23rd sack of the season, setting a new NFL record for most sacks in one season.

That's not in doubt. 

There will be no asterisks or questions about Garrett's feat as he did indeed break the record set by Michael Strahan during the 2001 season and tied by T.J. Watt in the 2021 season.

Garrett Collects Record But …

But that surely is not the end of this conversation.

Because what perhaps merits scrutiny is how that Garrett sack occurred. 

Replays of the play show Garrett tracked down Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for his record-breaking moment. And he was the only defensive player to corral the quarterback.

But it is questionable how much effort Burrow gave in trying to avoid the moment.

It actually looks as if Burrow kind of just took a step up in the pocket and began to go down before he was contacted by anyone.

That wasn't the only controversy surrounding the play. When Garrett collected the record-breaking sack, officials stopped the game. They actually prevented the Bengals from running a play with tempo so the Browns could celebrate Garrett and the moment.

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 04: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass against Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter of the game at Paycor Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Question That Will Linger

Bengals coach Zac Taylor did not appreciate that and complained afterward that officials never told him that was going to be the plan.

But the bigger issue is did Burrow let himself get sacked or at the least didn't give maximum effort to get rid of the football?

"He's the focus of our game plan every time we play him, it's no secret," Burrow said of Garrett. "We had no help on him one time, and he gets one."

Burrow said the protection on the play that resulted in the sack was hard to recall. He said he "feels" Garrett quickly, "often."

He was not asked specifically whether he gave himself up or not on the sack.

In the week leading up to Sunday's game, Burrow said he wasn’t going to "go out of my way to not let [Garrett] get the record," nor would he try to "go out of my way to let him get the record." 

Instead, Burrow emphasized that he would play the way he always does and let the game take care of the matter. 

Interesting.

Brett Favre Gave Up On Sack

If Burrow did give up, it wouldn't be the first time that has happened in the NFL.

When Micael Strahan set a new record at 22.5 sacks in the 2001 season, he tracked down Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. 

And Favre seemed to simply give up on the play. 

Favre simply saw Strahan coming and got down. The quarterback was known for his mobility as well as gifted arm, but he simply curled up into something of a fetal position.

Strahan thus broke Mark Gastineau’s long-standing record of 22 sacks, which had stood since 1984. 

UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1986: Defensive end Mark Gastineau #99 celebrates during an NFL football game circa 1986. Gastineau played for the Jets from 1979-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Mark Gastineau Confronted Favre

Gastineau publicly criticized the play for years, arguing the record was compromised.

Years later, at a memorabilia show, Gastineau confronted Favre for simply giving up. The former quarterback had no response to the charge at the time but eventually he apologized to Gastineau, stating he intended no disrespect to Gastineau, but merely wanted to avoid injury late in a game. 

It would not surprise if Burrow faces similar questions and perhaps even a face-to-face confrontation with former co-record-holder Watt – who plays in the AFC North and whose Steelers face Burrow and the Bengals twice every season.