After a 24-year reign by Michael Strahan and four years for T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett stands alone on the NFL's single-season sack leaderboard.
Garrett reached the elusive mark of 23 sacks on Sunday, making history and cementing his season as one of the all-time greatest by a pass-rusher.
The record fell with a sack against the Cincinnati Bengals, a week after Garrett had a chance to tie or break the record but failed to sack Aaron Rodgers in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Garrett set a new single-season mark in a 17-game campaign by breaking the record in Week 18. It took Strahan just 16 games to set the record, while T.J. Watt tied Strahan's mark in just 15 games in 2021.
Here's a look at the play that sent Garrett into the history books.
MORE: Most sacks in a game, season and career in NFL history
Who did Myles Garrett sack to break the record?
Myles Garrett brought down a familiar face to break the record, sacking Joe Burrow to secure the record. Garrett now has 13 career sacks against Burrow and 16 career sacks against the Bengals, which are both the most against any individual quarterback and individual opponent in Garrett's career.
BENDER: The best players on the worst teams in NFL history
Watch Myles Garrett break the NFL sack record
Here is the play that added Garrett's name to the history books:
MYLES GARRETT IS THE NEW SACK RECORD KING.
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026
CLEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Jaa4aBGrIl
13 players have recorded at least 20 official sacks in a season, with J.J. Watt the only player to do it twice, but Garrett now stands alone with 23 and could hold the record for quite some time even with a 17-game schedule in place.
MORE: What is the NFL's unofficial sack record?
Most sacks in a single season
| PLAYER | SACKS | SEASON |
| Myles Garrett | 23.0 | 2025 |
| Michael Strahan | 22.5 | 2001 |
| T.J. Watt | 22.5 | 2021 |
| Mark Gastineau | 22.0 | 1984 |
| Jared Allen | 22.0 | 2011 |
| Justin Houston | 22.0 | 2014 |
| Reggie White | 21.0 | 1987 |
| Chris Doleman | 21.0 | 1989 |
| Lawrence Taylor | 20.5 | 1986 |
| J.J. Watt | 20.5 | 2012 |
| J.J. Watt | 20.5 | 2014 |
| Aaron Donald | 20.5 | 2018 |
| Derrick Thomas | 20.0 | 1990 |
| DeMarcus Ware | 20.0 | 2008 |
T-1. Myles Garrett, 23.0 (2025)
Garrett was one of the NFL's best at getting to the quarterback well before 2025, but he has turned in his best season from a sack standpoint in year nine. After recording only four sacks in his first six games, Garrett dialed up the pressure and became an unstoppable force, recording three games of at least three sacks and breaking the record against Joe Burrow in Week 18.
T-2. Michael Strahan, 22.5 (2001)
Strahan's record-setting sack is the subject of some controversy after Brett Favre appeared to slide down without much of a fight when touched by Strahan, but the 2001 season was a dominant one for the New York Giants star. Strahan recorded three games with at least three sacks, including a four-sack display against the Rams, and he had only three games without a sack.
MORE: Revisiting Michael Strahan sack record controversy
T-2. T.J. Watt, 22.5 (2001)
J.J. Watt has two 20-sack seasons, but his brother, T.J., holds a share of the single-season record. The Pittsburgh Steelers star pulled within striking distance of the record with an explosive four-sack performance against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, and he tacked on the sack he needed against the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season finale. Watt reached 22.5 sacks despite missing two games in 2021.
MORE: Meet T.J. Watt's family tree, from legendary brother J.J. To soccer wife Dani Rhodes
T-4. Mark Gastineau, 22.0 (1984)
Mark Gastineau's 10-year career with the New York Jets was highlighted by a 22-sack campaign in 1984 on the heels of 19 sacks in 1983. Gastineau recorded a sack in all but three of his games, including a four-sack performance against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 to get the season started. More recently, Gastineau found himself in the news for confronting Favre over the quarterback's actions on the sack that allowed Strahan to break the record in 2001.
T-4. Jared Allen, 22.0 (2011)
Hall of Fame pass-rusher Jared Allen was a sack master in Kansas City in Minnesota, and he peaked with 22 sacks in 2011. Allen's career year included 3.5 sacks in Week 17, so he didn't enter the season finale with serious hopes of matching or breaking the record, but he came much closer than most imagined he would.
T-4. Justin Houston, 22.0 (2014)
From a third-round pick in 2011 to an All-Pro in 2014, Justin Houston doubled his career-high with a whopping 22 sacks in his fourth NFL season. Like Allen, Houston did much of his work in the season finale, recording four sacks to jump from 18 to 22, but he only had three games without a sack in 2014.
MORE: Breaking down the most sacks among active players
Myles Garrett most sacks by QB
- Joe Burrow: 13
- Lamar Jackson: 12
- Russell Wilson: 6
- Justin Fields: 6
Since entering the NFL, Garrett has sacked Joe Burrow more than any other quarterback, as Garrett has gotten to Burrow 13 times. Next up is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, whom Garrett has sacked 12 times.
Two players are tied for third on the list, as former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields were both sacked by Garrett six times in their careers.