Myles Garrett leads NFL's all-time single-season sack list - ESPN

Getting to the quarterback has long been one of the most disruptive and celebrated skills in the NFL.

Across generations, elite pass rushers have built their legacies by consistently winning their matchups and living in the backfield. While team schemes and supporting casts matter, some seasons stand out for individual dominance. The numbers below represent the peak of pass-rushing production in a single year.

From Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt to Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White, here's a look at the players who etched their names into the top-10 list of single-season sack leaders.

Sacks: 23.5

Year: 2025

Garrett entered Week 18 one sack shy of the single-season record, after he came up empty against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17.

In the fourth quarter of the regular-season finale against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, Garrett finally broke through, recording his 23rd sack to claim the record. The previous mark of 22.5 sacks was held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, who set it in 2001, and Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, who matched it in 2021.

Sacks: 22.5

Year: 2021

With an extra game added to the schedule for the 2021 season, it was widely assumed that many single-season records were in jeopardy.

Watt, however, did not need 17 games to tie the record. He missed two games — and sat out most of a third — due to injury.

Watt's chance at eclipsing Strahan's mark was bolstered by his four-sack performance against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. That left him just 1.5 sacks from setting the record heading into the season finale against the Baltimore Ravens.

In the end, Watt recorded one sack in the first half to tie the historic mark. He had two near-sack opportunities that were negated due to a