As the climax to the regular season fast approaches this weekend, we thought it worthwhile to run through the current NFL sack leaders for 2023-24, to see who is in pole position for the Deacon Jones award.
NFL Sack Leaders 2023-24
- T.J. Watt – 17.0
- Trey Hendrickson – 17.0
- Josh Allen – 16.5
- Khalil Mack – 16.0
- Danielle Hunter – 15.5
- Myles Garrett 14.0
- Maxx Crosby – 13.5
- Justin Madubuike – 13.0
- Micah Parsons – 13.0
- Montez Sweat – 12.5
I guess blood really is thicker than water, as TJ Watt tops the NFL sack leaders alongside Trey Hendrickson heading into the final week of the regular season.
Watt, who is the youngest of three brothers who have all enjoyed careers in the NFL, will be hoping to emulate his older sibling and three-time Defensive Player of the Year JJ, who became only the seventh player to lift the Deacon Jones award on two occasions in 2021. He also led the NFL with 20.5 sacks in 2012 – the year prior to the award being created.
Watt’s chances of adding to his sack tally rest on a clash with conference winners Baltimore, which holds a handful of head-spinning NFL permutations – the Steelers are the final remaining team in the AFC North who are still in with a shot at the postseason. You can find the long list of playoff picture scenarios by clicking the link, but Pittsburgh and Watt must find a way of defeating the Ravens in Week 18.
What does TJ Watt need to do to be in first…? pic.twitter.com/QUd7Ey451u
— PickensBurgh🫡 (Tino) (@PickensBurgh) December 30, 2023
As for co-leader Trey Hendrickson, he has one final shot in Week 18 to stat-pad his sack tally with the Bengals now out of playoff contention.
Josh Allen, who is the second player since 1982 to record at least 2.5 sacks in four different games, is currently on an incredible 16.5 as a quarterback.
Allen can hope to continue this startling progress in the postseason, although their final AFC East clash is a winner-takes-all meeting with the Dolphins to decide who secures a berth. It is worth noting that the Deacon Jones award only takes into account sacks in the regular season.
Myles Garrett, who is the current favorite for the Defensive Player of the Year according to NFL sportsbooks, maybe a more left-field contender to rival the current leaders in the final week.
The Browns have already secured a playoff berth, and Garrett has registered at least one sack in nine of his 15 regular season appearances.
Cleveland face a Cincinnati team they comfortably dispatched with a 21-point win in Week 1, and Garrett may fancy his chances of chasing the leading pack; for reference, he has already registered a 3.5 sack game this season, which would be enough to finish as sack leader, should the current tallies remain unchanged.
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