NFL: Most sacks in a game, season and career

We look at the sack leaders throughout NFL history, from the most sacks in a game, to the most sacks in a season, to the most sacks in a career.

What is a sack?

A sack is when a quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

Most sacks in NFL history

Rank	Player	Sacks
1	Bruce Smith	200
2	Reggie White	198
3	Kevin Greene	160
4	Julius Peppers	159.5
5	Chris Doleman	150.5

There are few greater feelings on defense than to get behind the offensive line and take a quarterback down and it's a feeling Bruce Smith felt more than anybody else in NFL history, leading the league with 200 career sacks across his spells with the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins.

Records have only been kept officially since 1982, with 44 players credited with 100+ sacks, but only five have cleared 150.

Most sacks in a season

Rank	Player	Sacks	Year
1	Michael Strahan	22.5	2001
1	TJ Watt	22.5	2021
3	Justin Houston	22.0	2014
3	Jared Allen	22.0	2011
3	Mark Gastineau	22.0	1984

Although Al Baker holds the record for most sacks in a season with 23.0 for the Detroit Lions in 1978, sacks weren't officially recorded until 1982, which makes Michael Strahan and TJ Watt the joint-holders of the record with 22.5 each.

Seven players have led the league in sacks in two or more seasons, with Watt the only player to do it three times - in 2020, 2021 and 2023 for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Most sacks in a game

Rank	Player	Sacks	Fixture	Date
1	Derrick Thomas	7.0	Chiefs v Seahawks	11 Nov 1990
2	Khalil Mack	6.0	Charges v Raiders	1 Oct 2023
2	Adrian Clayborn	6.0	Falcons v Cowboys	12 Nov 2017
2	Osi Umenyiora	6.0	Giants v Eagles	30 Sep 2007
2	Derrick Thomas	6.0	Chiefs v Raiders	6 Sep 1998
2	Fred Dean	6.0	49ers v Saints	13 Nov 1983

Only five players since 1982 have recorded six sacks in a game, and one of them also managed to do it seven times.

Derrick Thomas set the record for the most sacks in a game, getting to Seattle Seahawks QB Dave Krieg seven times (with Krieg sacked two more times in the game), despite the Kansas City Chiefs losing 17-16. Eight years later, Thomas would come up one short of his record, getting to Oakland Raiders QB Jeff George six times.