How Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald and six other active players are redefining the NFL's all-time sack list

• 

  Sarah BarshopAug 30, 2026, 05:26 PM ET

  Close

  Sarah Barshop covers the Los Angeles Rams for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2016 to cover the Green Bay Packers for ESPN Milwaukee. She then moved to Houston to cover the Texans. She came to ESPN after working as a writer and editor for Sports Illustrated.

Last season, defensive end Myles Garrett won his second Defensive Player of the Year award after setting the NFL's single-season record with 23 sacks with the Cleveland Browns.

This season, he'll continue his climb up the NFL's all-time sack list as a member of the Los Angeles Rams after a blockbuster trade in June -- making the Rams favorites to win the Super Bowl, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Garrett enters the season with 125.5 career sacks, which is tied for 20th in NFL history and third among the other six active players -- Von Miller (No. 9), Cameron Jordan (No. 17), Calais Campbell (No. 25), T.J. Watt (No. 26), Danielle Hunter (tied for No. 27) and Khalil Mack (T-29th) -- in the top 30.

Joining the top 30 soon could be Aaron Donald, who un-retired Sunday to join Garrett on the Rams' defensive line. Donald's 111 sacks currently sit two behind behind Mack and Sean Jones.

As for Garrett, he enters his 10th season in the NFL averaging approximately 14 sacks per season. If he were to replicate that production, he would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, who currently sits at No. 7 all-time. If Garrett were to have another historic season, he would surpass Michael Strahan (No. 6) and approach top-five all-time territory.

Miller, who recently signed with the Dallas Cowboys a couple of weeks ago, can also pass Strahan in his 15th season -- as he sits only three sacks behind him.

But Garrett's 125.5 career sacks are 10.5 more than any other player since his rookie season in 2017, according to ESPN Research. The pass rusher has recorded at least 14 sacks in each of the past five seasons, the longest such streak by any player since 1982.

If Garrett has 18.5 or more sacks this season, he will hold the record for the most over a two-season span since 1982, according to ESPN Research, and his current ascension up the all-time list ranks as the second-fastest pace among the top five all time behind only Reggie White.

As we look at how the sack list is redefined this season, we'll highlight milestones across the NFL landscape
We will update this file each week as the active players move up, and we'll add nuggets and milestones throughout the season.