The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, fresh off a unanimous 2025 win where he broke the single-season sack record with 23, just had his 2026 hopes absolutely torpedoed by a knee injury. He’s sidelined for at least four weeks, and his odds to win a third DPOY have plummeted all the way to +4500. This opens the door wide open for a new frontrunner, and right now, all eyes are on Aidan Hutchinson.
The Unanimous King Takes a Hit
Talk about a dominant run. Garrett snagged the AP NFL DPOY award unanimously in 2025, ripping off 23 sacks, an insane single-season record. That was his second DPOY win, putting him in seriously elite company, trailing only legends like Lawrence Taylor, J.J. Watt, and Aaron Donald, who each hit three awards. Watt and Donald even did it three times in four years, and Garrett was on track to match that incredible feat. But football is a brutal game. That knee injury? It’s a gut punch, putting him out for a month and sending his DPOY odds into the stratosphere. He was the favored pick, now he’s a serious long shot.
Hutchinson Is Lighting It Up Early
With Garrett on the shelf, the DPOY race has a new top dog: Aidan Hutchinson, currently sitting at +400. This guy is absolutely relentless, finding his way to opposing quarterbacks like a magnet. Through just two weeks, he’s already bagged three sacks and six QB hits. Plus, he’s got three tackles for loss. Yeah, the Lions have given up 71 points this season, which is a bit rough, but Hutchinson’s individual performance is undeniable. Right behind him at +430 is Will Anderson Jr., the star of what was the league’s best defense last year in Houston. He’s only played once this season, but he’s already got half a sack and a QB hit under his belt. The kid is a force.
Don’t Count Out These Playmakers
You absolutely cannot sleep on T.J. Watt, who’s at +1100. He proved in the Steelers’ season-opening win over the Falcons that he’s still got that “monster performance” in him, racking up two sacks, four tackles, three tackles for loss, and two QB hits. Wow. He’s already won this award once before, back in 2021. Then there’s Maxx Crosby (+1900), who had a wild offseason thinking he was a Raven until he wasn’t. He delivered in the Raiders’ Week 1 win over Miami, with 1.5 sacks, three QB hits, and a tackle for loss. And Nik Bonitto (+1900) is another name floating around, though Week 1 wasn’t pretty for Denver, getting blown out by Kansas City, and he only managed two tackles in the loss.
The DPOY race just got blown wide open, folks. Garrett’s injury is a game-changer, and now it’s a dogfight. Can Hutchinson keep up this insane pace? Will Anderson Jr. assert himself as the defensive leader in Houston? Or will a veteran like Watt remind everyone who he is? The next few weeks are going to be absolutely critical to see who really wants to snatch that hardware. This is shaping up to be one of the most exciting DPOY battles in years!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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