As the NFL regular season approaches its end with three games remaining, Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett is enjoying a standout performance with 21.5 sacks, putting him in a strong position to potentially shatter the single-season sack record.
However, determining which record Garrett might break varies based on one’s perspective.
The NFL, established in 1920, only began officially recognizing quarterback sacks in 1982. Consequently, the league’s official record is set at 22.5 sacks, achieved by Michael Strahan in 2001 and T.J. Watt in 2021.
Conversely, extensive research into historical game data identifies Al Baker’s 23 sacks in 1978 with the Detroit Lions as the unofficial all-time record.
Recently, Baker praised Garrett as a “phenomenal end,” expressing confidence that Garrett will surpass 23 sacks by the end of the season. “I promise he knows about Al ‘Bubba’ Baker and aims to break that record,” Baker remarked.
Jared Allen, a Hall of Fame pass rusher, also claims he reached 23 sacks in 2011, although he officially finished with 22 due to a controversial sack deduction involving Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers.
While Allen insists he should hold the record, others like Deacon Jones, credited with 22 sacks in the 1960s before official recognition, complicate the narrative. The differences in eras and sack counting highlight ongoing debates about how to accurately compare performances across generations, particularly as modern techniques allow far more precise tracking of statistics.
