The NFL single-season sack record is 22.5 sacks , shared by Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021).

Quick Scoop

  • In the official NFL record book, the top mark for a single season is 22.5 sacks.
  • Michael Strahan set it first in 2001 with the New York Giants, and T.J. Watt tied it in 2021 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
  • Multiple recent seasons have come close, and current stars like Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons are often talked about as threats to finally push the record to 23+.

A bit of context

  • The NFL only made sacks an official stat starting in 1982, so older greats like Deacon Jones are believed to have had huge sack totals that are not part of the “official” record list.
  • Because the season expanded from 14 to 16 to 17 games, fans often debate how to compare records across eras and whether future records with more games should be viewed differently.

In fan forums, a common debate goes: “Would you rather see someone get 23 sacks in 17 games, or 22.5 in 16 but with more dominance snap-to-snap?” That argument keeps this record in the spotlight every season.

Career and single-game marks (for extra trivia)

  • Career sacks leader: Bruce Smith with 200 official sacks over his career.
  • Single-game record: 7 sacks in one game, set by Derrick Thomas for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1990.

TL;DR: The answer to “what is the NFL sack record” (single season, official) is 22.5 sacks, held jointly by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.