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Last season, T.J. Watt came very close to eclipsing Michael Strahan's record for sacks in a season, but he could only match it.
The NFL instituted the Deacon Jones Award in 2013 to honor the season's top sack-maker. Jared Allen and Kevin Greene are the only ones who have topped the league in sacks while playing for two separate teams.
Let's examine the top 5 players in terms of sacks in a season.
#5 - Justin Houston – Kansas City Chiefs
Justin Houston of the Kansas City Chiefs came within a half-sack of matching Michael Strahan's single-season record for sacks in 2014.
With 110.5 total sacks, Houston has achieved reliable outcomes with three franchises. With the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens, he has made a name for himself as a highly experienced player.
Houston recorded 22 sacks in 2014, which was his finest season to date. However, the seasoned linebacker's status changed dramatically throughout this season.
#4 - Jared Allen - Minnesota Vikings
Jared Allen was selected to five Pro Bowls and four All-Pros in his NFL career that spanned over a decade. He sacked the quarterback 136 times.
With 22 sacks in a single season, Allen set the Minnesota Vikings team record in January 2012.
That year, the Vikings superstar had 66 tackles, including a career-high 21 tackles for loss, and was named to the first team of the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in five years.
#3 - Mark Gastineau - New York Jets
For the New York Jets, Mark Gastineau established the single-season mark in 1984 with 22 sacks, which he kept for 17 years before Michael Strahan had 22.5 sacks in 2001.
Gastineau was one of the most gifted and renowned defensive linemen of his days. His career spanned one decade, and he recorded 74 sacks. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in five consecutive seasons.
#2 - Michael Strahan, New York Giants
Michael Strahan's record-breaking sack of Green Bay Packers Brett Favre in the last game of the 2001 season generated debate. Many contested the validity of his landing on a slipping Brett Favre.
Strahan ended his career positively as he led his team to a Super Bowl XLII victory over the then-undefeated New England Patriots. He also recorded the last sack of his illustrious career against Tom Brady. The New York Giants retired his jersey number 92 shortly after his retirement.
#1 - T.J. Watt - Pittsburgh Steelers
Currently sitting at the summit of the league's single-season sack statistic is T.J. Watt. When Watt tackled Baltimore Ravens passer Tyler Huntley for a loss last campaign, the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker tied Michael Strahan's record of 22 sacks in a season. In every one of his previous four campaigns, Watt has now registered 13 or more sacks.
