Through all of the good and bad of this season, some things have remained consistent for the Cleveland Browns. Notably, the team’s defense has been something to be proud of.
And that has been partly due to two players who have been punishing their opponents again and again. Now, these two are officially in the running for a couple of the biggest prizes the NFL has to offer.
On Thursday morning, it was announced that Myles Garrett and Carson Schwesinger are now finalists for AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively.
As noted by Mary Kay Cabot on social media, both are the frontrunners to win these awards.
“Browns DE Myles Garrett and LB Carson Schwesinger are officially finalists for AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Both are betting faves to win,” Cabot posted on X.
#Browns DE Myles Garrett and LB Carson Schwesinger are officially finalists for AP #NFL Defensive Player of the Year and AP #NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Both are betting faves to win.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 22, 2026
The Associated Press nominates five finalists for each category, and the winner will be announced at the NFL Honors on February 5 in San Francisco, just days before the Super Bowl.
For Garrett, this is something that he is used to. This is his third consecutive nomination for Defensive Player of the Year; he won in 2023 and was a finalist last year.
It makes sense that he would nab another nomination, especially after the year he had. He made NFL history by setting the new single-season sack record in Week 18 with his 23rd sack. He also broke Cleveland’s single-season sack record that he set in 2021 and then tied just a year later.
As for Schwesinger, he has had a rookie season to remember and is clearly a defensive player who is looking to make an impact for years to come. He finished the season with a team-high 156 tackles and 2.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, and two interceptions.
He led all rookies this year with his tackles and tackles for loss and recorded double-digit tackles in seven games. It seems like these two are well on their way to winning these highly coveted honors.
But even if they don’t, the impression they made on their team and the rest of the league this year cannot be denied.
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