NFL All-Time Sack Records: A Look at Single-Season, Single-Game, and Career Leaders As Myles Garrett Tries to Make History

While offensive records seem to fall every year, the NFL’s single-game, single-season, and career sack marks have been far more difficult to surpass. So what are the current NFL sack records for a single game, a full season, and an entire career?

NFL All-Time Sack Leaders

Much like with single-season records, there are two sets of records: Official records set after 1982, and unofficial records set with numbers from seasons before that.

The difference here is that the top record spot remains the same on both lists: Bruce Smith, who had 200 sacks between 1985 and 2003.

Here are the top 20 when it comes to official career sacks.

1. Bruce Smith, 200.0 career sacks (1985-2003)
2. Reggie White, 198.0 career sacks (1985-2000)
3. Kevin Greene, 160 career sacks (1985-1999)
4. Julius Peppers, 159.5 career sacks (2002-2018)
5. Chris Doleman, 150.5 career sacks (1985-1999)
6. Michael Strahan, 141.5 career sacks (1993-2007)
7. Jason Taylor, 139.5 career sacks (1997-2011)
8. Terrell Suggs, 193.0 career sacks (2003-2019)
9. DeMarcus Ware, 138.5 career sacks (2005, 2016)
10. Richard Dent, 137.5 career sacks (1983-1997)
11. John Randle, 137.5 career sacks (1990-2003)
12. Jared Allen, 136.0 career sacks (2004-2015)
13. John Abraham, 133.5 career sacks (2000-2014)
14. Lawrence Taylor, 132.5 career sacks (1981-1993)
15. Leslie O’Neal, 132.5 career sacks (1986-1999)
16. Rickey Jackson, 128.0 career sacks (1981-1995)
17. Derrick Thomas, 126.5 career sacks (1989-1999)
18. Dwight Freeney, 125.5 career sacks (2002-2017)
19. Von Miller, 123.5 career sacks (2011-2023)
20. Robert Mathis, 123 career sacks (2003-2016)

The 1985 season turned out to be a remarkable starting point for pass-rushing careers. Four of the top five all entered the league that year. Bruce Smith, Kevin Greene, and Chris Doleman were selected in the 1985 NFL Draft, while Reggie White joined the league through the 1984 Supplemental Draft.

When looking at the unofficial career sack leaderboard, it is no surprise to see Deacon Jones among the top five. Jones recorded 173.5 sacks over his 14-year career, even though sacks did not become an official stat until after he retired.

NFL Single-Season Sack Leaders

The official record for sacks in a single season is 22.5 sacks by Michael Strahan in 2001 and T.J. Watt in 2021, while Al Baker holds the unofficial record at 23.0 in 1978.

Myles Garrett has already recorded 18.0 sacks in 11 games this season, and he is on track to make history by the end of the ongoing NFL campaign.

Here are the current top 20 single-season sack records.

1. Michael Strahan, 22.5 sacks (2001)
2. T.J. Watt, 22.5 sacks (2021)
3. Jared Allen, 22.0 sacks (2011)
4. Mark Gastineau, 22.0 sacks (1984)
5. Justin Houston, 22.0 sacks (2014)
6. Chris Doleman, 21.0 sacks (1989)
7. Reggie White, 21.0 sacks (1987)
8. Aaron Donald, 20.5 sacks (2018)
9. Lawrence Taylor, 20.5 sacks (1986)
10. J.J. Watt, 20.5 sacks (2012)
11. J.J. Watt, 20.5 sacks (2014)
12. Derrick Thomas, 20.0 sacks (1990)
13. DeMarcus Ware, 20.0 sacks (2008)
14. Shaquil Barrett, 19.5 sacks (2019)
15. Tim Harris, 19.5 sacks (1989)
16. Robert Mathis, 19.5 sacks (2013)
17. Aldon Smith, 19.5 sacks (2012)
18. DeMarcus Ware, 19.5 sacks (2011)
19. Mark Gastineau, 19.0 sacks (1983)
20. Chandler Jones, 19.0 sacks (2019)

Not included above is Deacon Jones, who recorded 22.0 sacks in both 1964 and 1968. What makes those totals even more impressive is that he produced them in 14-game seasons. Jones led the league in sacks five times over a six-year span from 1964 through 1969.

NFL Single-Game Sack Leaders

The single-game sack record is another that has stood the test of time.

KEEP READING: All-Time QB Records

The single-game sack record of seven was set in 1990 by Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs, surpassing Fred Dean’s previous mark of six set in 1983. Since then, four additional players have matched Dean’s six-sack performance, including Thomas again in 1998.

1. Derrick Thomas, 7.0 (1990)
2. Adrian Clayborn, 6.0 sacks (2017)
3. Fred Dean, 6.0 sacks (1983)
4. Derrick Thomas, 6.0 sacks (1998)
5. Osi Umenyiora, 6.0 sacks (2007)
6. Khalil Mack, 6.0 sacks (2023)
7. Aldon Smith, 5.5 sacks (2012)
8. William Gay, 5.5 sacks (1983)
9. Aidan Hutchinson, 5.0 sacks (2024)
10. Chandler Jones, 5.0 sacks (2021)
11. Haason Reddick, 5.0 sacks (2020)
12. Khalil Mack, 5.0 sacks (2015)
13. Antwan Odom, 5.0 sacks (2009)
14. Vonnie Holliday, 5.0 sacks (2002)
15. Chuck Smith, 5.0 sacks (1997)
16. Leslie O’Neal, 5.0 sacks (1986)
17. Gary Jeter, 5.0 sacks (1988)
18. Jim Jeffcoat, 5.0 sacks (1985)
19. Randy Halloway, 5.0 sacks (1984)
20. Howie Long, 5.0 sacks (1983)