Who has the most sacks in an NFL season?
Michael Strahan ties the most sacks in an NFL Season with T.J. Watt.
The season of 2001 was a season to remember for Strahan. In a single season, he recorded 22.5 sacks. However, while some say that Al Baker holds the record with 23 sacks tallied in 1978, the stat was not officially counted at the time, rendering the record unofficial and Strahan’s record to beat until 2021 when T.J.
Watt tied Michael Strahan’s single-season NFL record with 22.5 quarterback sacks by the former New York Giants in 2001.
Quarterback sack
A sack occurs in gridiron football when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, when the quarterback is tackled in the “pocket” and his intent is unclear, or when a passer runs out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage as a result of defensive pressure.
This frequently occurs when the opposing team’s defensive line, linebackers, or defensive backs are able to apply pass pressure quickly enough to get past offensive team blocking players (the quarterback’s protection), or when the quarterback is unable to find a back to hand the ball off to or an eligible receiver (including wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends) to catch the ball, allowing the defense a longer opportunity to tackle the quarterback.
