In the National Football League (NFL), an interception is referred to as a defensive play wherein a player from the defense catches a pass attempt made by the opposing team’s offensive player. Interceptions are a key aspect of the game as they result in a change of possession in the game. This gives the defending the opportunity to play offense and convert their interception into a touchdown.
When the defensive player intercepts a pass attempt made by the offensive team, the team that performed the interception becomes the offense and begins making their plays from the point at which the interception was made. The interception is a play that is given importance due to its ability to prevent the offense from making a pass. As a result, it could potentially lead to either a change of possession or a touchdown.
The interception has come to be an important aspect of a defender's game, given its benefits and how it can turn a game around at any moment. It reflects the ability of a defender to read the quarterback's plays and also prevents the offensive player that they are marking from catching the ball. Teams often design defensive plays to make it conducive to increase the chances of an interception. This is done by analyzing the quarterback’s decisions and putting pressure on the quarterback.
Like all other statistics, the NFL maintains a record of interceptions made by each player throughout their careers as well as single-season records. An interception results in an interception return or an interception touchdown. An interception touchdown occurs when the defense makes an interception and successfully reaches the end zone to score a touchdown. An interception return takes place when the defense makes an interception and gains yardage to get closer to the opponent's end line.
Which Player Leads the NFL in Annual Interceptions?
| Year | Player | Interceptions |
| 1940 | Don Hutson, Ace Parker, Kent Ryan | 6 |
| 1941 | Marshall Goldberg, Art Jones | 7 |
| 1942 | Bulldog Turner | 8 |
| 1943 | Sammy Baugh | 11 |
| 1944 | Howie Livingston | 9 |
| 1945 | Roy Zimmerman | 7 |
| 1946 | Bill Dudley | 10 |
| 1947 | Frank Reagan, Frank Seno | 10 |
| 1948 | Dan Sandifer | 13 |
| 1949 | Bob Nussbaumer | 12 |
| 1950 | Spec Sanders | 13 |
| 1951 | Otto Schnellbacher | 11 |
| 1952 | Night Train Lane | 14 |
| 1953 | Jack Christiansen | 12 |
| 1954 | Night Train Lane | 10 |
| 1955 | Will Sherman | 11 |
| 1956 | Lindon Crow | 11 |
| 1957 | Jack Butler, Jack Christiansen, Milt Davis | 10 |
| 1958 | Jimmy Patton | 11 |
| 1959 | Milt Davis, Dean Derby, Don Shinnick | 7 |
| 1960 | Dave Baker, Jerry Norton | 10 |
| 1961 | Dick Lynch | 9 |
| 1962 | Willie Wood | 9 |
| 1963 | Dick Lynch, Rosey Taylor | 9 |
| 1964 | Paul Krause | 12 |
| 1965 | Bobby Boyd | 9 |
| 1966 | Larry Wilson | 10 |
| 1967 | Lem Barney, Dave Whitsell | 10 |
| 1968 | Willie Williams | 10 |
| 1969 | Mel Renfro | 10 |
| 1970 | Johnny Robinson | 10 |
| 1971 | Bill Bradley | 11 |
| 1972 | Bill Bradley | 9 |
| 1973 | Dick Anderson, Mike Wagner | 8 |
| 1974 | Emmitt Thomas | 12 |
| 1975 | Mel Blount | 11 |
| 1976 | Monte Jackson | 10 |
| 1977 | Lyle Blackwood | 10 |
| 1978 | Thom Darden | 10 |
| 1979 | Mike Reinfeldt | 12 |
| 1980 | Lester Hayes | 13 |
| 1981 | Everson Walls | 11 |
| 1982 | Everson Walls | 7 |
| 1983 | Mark Murphy | 9 |
| 1984 | Kenny Easley | 10 |
| 1985 | Everson Walls | 9 |
| 1986 | Ronnie Lott | 10 |
| 1987 | Barry Wilburn | 9 |
| 1988 | Scott Case | 10 |
| 1989 | Felix Wright | 9 |
| 1990 | Mark Carrier | 10 |
| 1991 | Ronnie Lott | 8 |
| 1992 | Henry Jones, Audray McMillian | 8 |
| 1993 | Nate Odomes, Eugene Robinson | 9 |
| 1994 | Eric Turner, Aeneas Williams | 9 |
| 1995 | Orlando Thomas | 9 |
| 1996 | Tyrone Braxton, Keith Lyle | 9 |
| 1997 | Ryan McNeil | 9 |
| 1998 | Ty Law | 9 |
| 1999 | Donnie Abraham, James Hasty, Sam Madison, Troy Vincent, Rod Woodson | 7 |
| 2000 | Darren Sharper | 9 |
| 2001 | Ronde Barber, Anthony Henry | 10 |
| 2002 | Brian Kelly, Rod Woodson | 8 |
| 2003 | Tony Parrish, Brian Russell | 9 |
| 2004 | Ed Reed | 9 |
| 2005 | Ty Law, Deltha O'Neal | 10 |
| 2006 | Champ Bailey, Asante Samuel | 10 |
| 2007 | Antonio Cromartie | 10 |
| 2008 | Ed Reed | 9 |
| 2009 | Jarius Byrd, Asante Samuel, Darren Sharper, Charles Woodson | 9 |
| 2010 | Ed Reed | 8 |
| 2011 | Kyle Arrington, Eric Weddle, Charles Woodson | 7 |
| 2012 | Tim Jennings | 9 |
| 2013 | Richard Sherman | 8 |
| 2014 | Glover Quin | 7 |
| 2015 | Reggie Nelson, Marcus Peters | 8 |
| 2016 | Casey Hayward | 7 |
| 2017 | Kevin Byard, Darius Slay | 8 |
| 2018 | Kyle Fuller, Xavien Howard, Damontae Kazee | 7 |
| 2019 | Stephon Gilmore, Anthony Harris, Tre'Davious White | 6 |
| 2020 | Xavien Howard | 10 |
| 2021 | Trevon Diggs | 11 |
| 2022 | Minkah Fitzpatrick, C. J. Gardner-Johnson, Justin Simmons, Tariq Woolen | 6 |
| 2023 | DaRon Bland | 9 |
Interceptions constitute an important aspect of the game of football. It makes the game more interesting and can change the game at any point in time. There have been instances where games have been won by an interception. It will be interesting to see who will lead the league in receptions in the 2023-24 NFL season.
FAQs
A. Paul Krause has the most number of career interceptions in the NFL. He has recorded 81 intereceptions.
A. Sam Howell had the most number of interceptions thrown in 2023 with 21 picks to his name.
A. DaRon Bland, cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys lead the NFL with 9 interceptions in the 2023 NFL season.
A. With 366 interceptions, Brett Favre leads all quarterbacks for the most career interceptions thrown.
