After tying it last week, Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt has sole possession of the team’s all-time sack record. Entering the game with 80.5 career sacks, he picked up the record-breaker late in the first half against the Cleveland Browns. He now has 81.5 sacks.
He beat Browns’ rookie RT Dawand Jones to sack QB Deshaun Watson on third and 7, a crucial play to stop the Browns’ drive. Here’s a look at the play.
Taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Watt quickly sped up the charts. He notched seven sacks as a rookie before jumping into double-digits as a sophomore, ending with 13. He led the league with 15 sacks in 2020 before tying the official single-season mark the following year with 22.5.
Watt would’ve broken the record a year ago, but a partially torn pectoral and other smaller injuries derailed his season, and he finished with just 5.5. He got back on track in Week One last Sunday with a dominant performance, three sacks and two forced fumbles against the San Francisco 49ers.
Here is the Steelers’ official sack leaderboard.
Harrison took ownership of the franchise’s sack record in 2016, also against the Browns. Officially, he broke Jason Gildon’s mark of 77 sacks though the unofficial record (sacks weren’t an official stat until 1982) was L.C. Greenwood’s 78. Harrison would pass up that number later in the year.
Entering tonight’s game, Watt had 15 sacks against Cleveland, more than he’s had versus any other team. It’s only fitting he set the Steelers’ record against them.
Here is the year-by-year sack total throughout Watt’s career. In parentheses next to each season is his career sack total up to that point.
2017 – 7.0
2018 – 13.0 (20.0)
2019 – 14.5 (34.5)
2020 – 15.0 (49.5)
2021 – 22.5 (72.0)
2022 – 5.5 (77.5)
2023 – 4.0 (81.5)
And by decade, here is a list of the Steelers’ all-time sack leaders.
1970 – John Baker (32.5)
1980 – L.C. Greenwood (75.0)
1990 – L.C. Greenwood (78.0)
2000 – L.C. Greenwood (78.0)
2010 – L.C. Greenwood (78.0)
2020 – James Harrison (80.5)
2023 – T.J. Watt (81.5)
