Most sacks among active NFL players: Where Browns star Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt rank on all-time list

If there's anything to be said about NFL offenses in the modern-day, it is that they are shaped by their signal-callers.

The league is decidedly more passing-oriented than it was in its inception, with the game's greatest gun-slingers rising to a sort of mythical status among NFL audiences. It is the quarterbacks who capture the headlines, and it is the quarterbacks who take home the largest contracts. Although they alone can't guarantee team success, the position does tend to have a major bearing on whether a side is a true contender.

Quarterbacks are the most important players on the field, that much is true. But who strikes fear into the league's most recognizable talents? Pass rushers.

For every great hurler in today's league, there exists an equally gifted Leviathan capable of swallowing him whole behind the line of scrimmage. None are quite as feared as Browns EDGE Myles Garrett, whose recent outburst of sacks has him poised to take hold of one of the league's most cherished records.

So, just how does Garrett's sack totals compare to his peers? Here's what you need to know about the active leaders in sacks among NFL players.

MORE: Myles Garrett sacks tracker

Most sacks among active NFL players

While Myles Garrett's career sack totals are eye-popping, he doesn't quite top the chart as the league's most prolific sack-getter. That title belongs to Commanders EDGE Von Miller, who has tallied more than 130 across his glittering career.

Miller has six seasons on Garrett. At present, there's only a 12.5-sack difference between him and the Browns' standout. Given Garrett's pace as of late, it seems likely that the margin between the two will grow smaller as time goes on.

Garrett and Miller are two of seven active players to have recorded at least 100.0 sacks. They're joined by Cameron Jordan (128.0), Calais Campbell (116.0), T.J. Watt (115.0), Khalil Mack (113.0) and Danielle Hunter (111.5). Garrett and Watt are the only players drafted after 2016 to hit the 90.0-sack mark, although Chris Jones (84.5) and Trey Hendrickson (81.0) aren't too far away.

With that, here's a look at the 10 most prolific sack artists still playing in the league.

MORE: Most sacks in a game, season and career in NFL history

RANK

PLAYER NAME

TEAM(S)

SACKS

SEASONS

Most career sacks in NFL history

Myles Garrett still has some ways to go if he wants to catch Bruce Smith, the league's all-time leader in career sacks. The former Bills standout tallied 200.0 across his glistening career, which spanned across three different decades. Garrett currently sits at No. 29 on the all-time list, more than 70 sacks off of Smith. But there's reason to believe he could be the player to take hold of the all-time record books before long.

The Cleveland star boasts an average of more than 16 sacks per year since his 2017 debut. If he were to stay healthy and continue on that pace, he could expect to break Smith's mark partway by the 2030 season — his age-35 season.

Here's a look at the 10 greatest sack artists ranked by career sack totals since the stat became an official part of the NFL record book in 1982.

MORE: How Myles Garrett can set new NFL record in 2025 season

Rank

Player Name

Team(s)

Sacks

No. of seasons