The 50 linebackers with the most sacks, 1999–2026

Every linebacker on this list is ranked on one number: sacks in the regular season between 1999 and 2026. Nothing else is weighed, and the figures each ranking rests on are in the table.

Sacks — the leading 15. Every one of the 50 is in the table below.

#	Player	Pos	Seasons	Sacks	Solo	QB hits	FF
1	DeMarcus Ware	LB	2005–2016	139	458	221	35
2	Von Miller	LB	2011–2026	138.5	428	272	27
3	Terrell Suggs	LB	2003–2019	138	482	196	37
4	Jared Allen	OLB	2004–2015	136	441	224	32
5	John Abraham	OLB	2000–2013	134	381	147	48
6	Cameron Jordan	LB	2011–2026	132	459	248	17
7	Myles Garrett	LB	2017–2025	125.5	260	239	23
8	Jason Taylor	OLB	1999–2011	123.5	395	97	41
9	Robert Mathis	LB	2003–2016	122	335	137	52
10	T.J. Watt	LB	2017–2026	119.5	316	251	37
11	Khalil Mack	LB	2014–2026	116	436	201	36
12	Justin Houston	LB	2011–2023	112	378	185	19
13	Robert Quinn	LB	2011–2022	102	268	178	31
14	Cameron Wake	LB	2009–2019	101	259	226	22
15	Carlos Dunlap	LB	2010–2022	100	359	265	22
16	Joey Porter	OLB	1999–2011	97.5	423	90	25
17	Clay Matthews	LB	2009–2019	90.5	344	199	17
18	Trent Cole	LB	2005–2016	90	432	140	21
19	Tamba Hali	LB	2006–2017	89	409	150	31
20	James Harrison	LB	2004–2017	84	440	143	34
21	Trey Hendrickson	LB	2017–2026	82	153	166	15
22	Shaun Phillips	OLB	2004–2014	80.5	335	97	22
23	Za'Darius Smith	LB	2015–2026	73	202	179	10
24	Matthew Judon	LB	2016–2026	72	264	177	9
25	Brian Burns	LB	2019–2026	71	214	146	13
26	DeMarcus Lawrence	LB	2014–2026	67.5	291	151	24
27	Brian Orakpo	LB	2009–2018	66	267	124	12
28	Micah Parsons	LB	2021–2025	65	167	140	11
29	Haason Reddick	LB	2017–2025	61.5	272	108	19
30	Bud Dupree	LB	2015–2026	61	207	103	13
31	Calvin Pace	LB	2003–2015	59	374	74	21
31	Shaquil Barrett	LB	2015–2024	59	270	125	22
31	Harold Landry III	LB	2018–2025	59	242	121	4
34	Bert Berry	OLB	1999–2009	58.5	174	32	15
34	Melvin Ingram	LB	2012–2023	58.5	253	131	15
34	Kyle Van Noy	LB	2014–2026	58.5	329	104	14
34	Frank Clark	LB	2015–2023	58.5	170	131	14
34	Dante Fowler Jr.	LB	2016–2026	58.5	184	97	15
39	LaMarr Woodley	LB	2007–2015	57	173	96	9
40	Bruce Irvin	LB	2012–2023	56.5	217	131	16
41	Josh Sweat	LB	2018–2026	56	152	116	11
42	Connor Barwin	LB	2009–2018	55.5	248	124	6
43	Ahmad Brooks	LB	2006–2017	55	264	96	11
44	Willie McGinest	OLB	1999–2008	54.5	264	47	7
45	Adalius Thomas	OLB	2000–2009	54	306	52	15
46	Chike Okeafor	OLB	1999–2009	53	256	43	16
46	Derrick Burgess	OLB	2001–2009	53	179	50	6
48	Kamerion Wimbley	OLB	2006–2014	52.5	261	120	8
49	Jason Gildon	OLB	1999–2004	52	191	36	12
50	Rosevelt Colvin	OLB	1999–2008	51.5	226	50	17

How this list is made

Ranked on sacks in the regular season, 1999–2026, for players listed at ILB, LB, MLB, OLB. Players are ranked on that number alone and on nothing else: there is no judgement here about who was better. Where two players are level they share a rank, and the list runs past fifty when fiftieth place is shared, because splitting a tie would mean choosing between them on no stated basis.

Why it does not say “of all time”. Every NFL statistic this site holds begins in 1999. A list claiming to cover all time would leave out Lawrence Taylor, who retired in 1993, along with everyone else who played before the figures start. That is why the years are in the title.

These figures are derived, and can differ from the NFL’s official records. They are computed from play-by-play data rather than copied from the league. Checked against published career sack totals, Cameron Jordan, Von Miller and J.J. Watt match exactly, while Julius Peppers came out 0.5 short and Terrell Suggs 1.0 — both careers that began before 2011. Expect small differences on long careers that start early in the window.

Regular-season games only; the play-offs are not counted. Source: nflverse-data, CC BY 4.0.

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