List Of National Football League Career Sacks Leaders

In the National Football League (NFL), a sack is referred to as a defensive play wherein a player from the defense tackles the offense’s quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. This play needs to happen before the quarterback is able to pass the ball in order for it to be beneficial to the defensive team. Sacks are a crucial part of a team’s defensive strategy, proving to be a serious loss on the opponent’s offensive end.

The most beneficial part about a sack in football is the loss of yardage that it results in. Counted from the line of scrimmage, the loss in yardage on account of a sack the new line of scrimmage set for the next play will begin from the point at which the quarterback was tackled. For example, if the line of scrimmage is at the 10-yard line and the quarterback is tackled at the 5-yard line, the offense loses those many yards on the play.

The defense is greatly propelled through sacks. Due to the loss of yardage, there is much more pressure on the offense not only to gain some yardage to progress on offense but also to reduce the yardage as much as possible in case they lose the ball and the defense forces them to turn the ball over close to the offense’s end line.

Defenders who specialize in the art of sacking are referred to as “sack artists” or “pass rushers.” These defenders aside from having the ability to put excessive pressure on quarterbacks are very agile, can get past offensive linemen and are strong enough to bring the quarterback down.

The NFL maintains single-season and career records of the number of sacks made by a player as a separate statline. Sacking the quarterback, aside from its in-game benefits, is considered to be a moment of triumph for the particular defender who sacked the quarterback. Similar to how an offensive player celebrates on account of a touchdown, so does a defender on account of a sack.

Who holds the record for most career sacks?

At the top of the list, with the most career sacks in the history of the NFL, is Bruce Smith. Bruce Smith played in the NFL from 1985 to 2003 for the teams Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. Recording a total of 200 sacks in his career, Bruce Smith is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Being on this list puts players in a very select category of players who have a very niche and valuable defensive ability. All in all, sacks are a very important aspect of a team’s defensive strategy as they have the ability to disrupt the opponent’s entire offensive structure.