HOW MYLES GARRETT SURPASSED STRAHAN AND WATT FOR THE SACK RECORD
Myles Garrett makes history with his 23rd sack as Andre Szmyt’s 49-yard field goal lifts the Browns over the Bengals 20-18.
Myles Garrett waited until the last possible moment to break the NFL sack record, but it was Cleveland’s kicker who stole the show at the end. As the clock hit zero, Andre Szmyt nailed a 49-yard field goal to give the Browns a 20-18 win over the Bengals—a little redemption for Szmyt, who missed a short field goal and an extra point against Cincinnati way back in the season opener. This time, he delivered. On the other side, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson missed two extra points, which ended up costing his team the game.
Garrett’s big moment came with just over five minutes left. He burst up the middle, and Joe Burrow just slid to the ground—sack number 23 for Garrett. That put him past Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for the single-season record. The Browns' bench cleared to celebrate with him, and the game paused while everyone soaked it in.
Cincinnati wasn’t done, though. Down 17-12 late, Burrow led the Bengals on a 61-yard drive and hit Ja’Marr Chase for a 4-yard touchdown, giving Cincinnati an 18-17 lead with 90 seconds left. Chase was his usual self—eight catches, 96 yards, and a score.
For Cleveland, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders didn’t light up the stat sheet—just 111 yards on 11-of-22 passing—but he picked up his third win as a starter. The Browns closed out the season with back-to-back victories over AFC North rivals, even though their offense sputtered most of the day and they lost center Luke Wypler to a knee injury.
Burrow finished with 236 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception on 29-of-39 passing. Running back Chase Brown crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time and grabbed a touchdown as well, wrapping up a strong season with 72 yards on 13 carries.
Early on, it looked like Cincinnati would cruise. Burrow hit a wide-open Brown for a 4-yard touchdown after Cam Sample strip-sacked Sanders and Howard Cross recovered at the Cleveland 29. But the extra point got blocked, and that missed point loomed large later.
Cleveland’s defense made some noise, too. Devin Bush picked off Burrow and ran it back 97 yards for a score in the first quarter. Just a minute later, Sam Webb scooped up a fumble and sprinted 47 yards to the end zone. That gave the Browns a 14-6 lead.
Tee Higgins caught a 13-yard touchdown from Burrow just before halftime, and again, McPherson missed the extra point. It was that kind of day for Cincinnati.
The Browns lost their top corner, Denzel Ward, to a neck injury early on. He didn’t return.
RAIDERS PLACE RECEIVER JUSTIN SHORTER ON IR; SIGN HOOSIERS STAR BRADY
With Justin Shorter on IR, discover how new signing Jonathan Brady fits into the Raiders' wide receiver youth movement for 2026.
The Raiders aren’t sitting still; rookie minicamp just started, and they're already shuffling the roster. Right now, some veteran players are basically on borrowed time as the team leans hard into getting younger.
Take Justin Shorter. He’s been in Vegas since 2024 but hasn’t caught a pass in an actual NFL game. Well, his spot just got even more shaky. The Raiders put him on the Reserve/Injured list, which, let’s be real, is never a good sign this early in the offseason. Usually, that sort of move means a buyout could be next so he can test free agency.
There’s a steady influx of young receivers competing for spots, so it’s tough to see Shorter making his way back, even if he heals up. To fill his spot, the team signed Jonathan Brady, a receiver out of Indiana.
Nobody’s really sure what kind of injury Shorter has. If it’s serious, maybe he sticks around and rehabs with the team. If not, we might see him try his luck somewhere else.
As for the Raiders’ wide receiver group, the youth movement is real. Wide receiver was a big need heading into the offseason, but they didn’t do much outside of signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Vincent Bonsignore from the California Post pointed out that the Raiders might still look to add more receivers if the current group doesn’t step up. He basically said that the early rounds of the draft went to bigger needs, and now guys like Bech and Thornton Jr. have a chance to prove the team doesn’t have to keep looking elsewhere. But don’t expect the Raiders to hesitate if things look shaky.
Now, about that passing game, it was rough last season. The Raiders finished in the bottom five. But with Klint Kubiak calling plays and Fernando Mendoza hopefully taking over for Geno Smith, things honestly should get better. If Kirk Cousins ends up starting, he’s probably an upgrade, too. And bringing in Tyler Linderbaum at centre will only help.
Chances are, the Raiders will use an early pick on a receiver in next year’s draft. Even though they have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings, they didn’t spend big at receiver this offseason. Maybe that’s because they don’t expect him to start right away. Who knows. For now, the wide receiver group looks decent enough to get by.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
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