After finishing with an 11-6 record and a second playoff appearance in four seasons, the Cleveland Browns have high expectations heading into the 2024 NFL regular season.
The Browns aim to win their first AFC North crown in 35 years, the first since the franchise’s rebirth in 1999.
Should Cleveland earn that lofty goal, one Browns player would likely be in the conversation for the NFL’s MVP Award.
NFL analyst Eric Edholm named every AFC team’s potential MVP candidates for the 2024 season in a recent article, identifying an intriguing choice for the Browns.
Edholm chose defensive end Myles Garrett as Cleveland’s likely MVP candidate.
“The reigning Defensive Player of the Year rose to a different level in 2023, and while it might be hard for Garrett to match that level for a second straight season, there’s no reason to think he can’t again be the linchpin for one of the league’s elite units,” Edholm wrote.
Since the AP began naming an MVP winner in 1957, only three players outside of the running back and quarterback positions have won the award.
If Garrett were to win the award, the edge rusher would become the third defender to claim the honor, joining tackle Alan Page in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986.
For Garrett to have a serious chance at winning the award, the Browns need to win their first AFC North crown since 1989.
No MVP winner’s team has won fewer than 11 games or finished below first in their division since 2013.
In 2012, Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson was the last player to win the award without his team winning the division or cracking the 11-win mark.
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