Garrett, the older of the two with four seasons more experience, had made two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro team before Parsons entered the NFL in 2021.
Since then, the two pass-rushing experts have won a total of six Pro Bowls in three seasons, completed four All-Pro seasons (two each) and finished in the top five in the race for the title of “Defensive Player of the Year” five times.
Parsons finished second in the voting twice and finished third last season.
Garrett, on the other hand, who had 46 sacks during that time to Parsons’ 40.5, is the reigning DPOY. He earned that honor despite having two fewer sacks in each of his previous two seasons. He still managed 14, but his presence and attention-seeking skills wreaked havoc on opposing offensive lines.
Their teams have benefited tremendously from their performances, too. Both made it to the Wild Card Round last year, with the Browns having the best defense in terms of yards allowed and the Cowboys ranking fifth in both yards allowed and points given up.
Regardless of how many flashes Garrett or Parsons put together on Sunday, the ultimate goal will be to return to the playoffs and advance this time.
Perhaps because Garrett holds the title of the best defensive lineman in the NFL and has already outperformed all other defenders earlier in the season, it is easier for him to preach this goal and team-oriented approach.
Nevertheless, he is fully aware that Parsons is challenging him for the crown.
“I hope he wants to win,” Garrett said of Parsons’ stated desire to be named Defensive Player of the Year himself. “He’s a hell of a competitor. He’s a great athlete and a great advocate of this game. So I want him to have that kind of confidence as he strives for greatness. I don’t want him to say otherwise. That gives me confidence that he’s going to give it 100% and, you know, fight it out, let’s see what happens. But it’s not me playing against Micah, it’s our teams playing against each other and at the end of the day, I hope he does well, just not on Sunday.”
