T.J. Watt can be NFL's first official three-time league leader in sacks
Since the NFL started keeping sacks as an official individual statistic in 1982, no player has led the league three times. Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt can become the first.
Watt, who led the NFL in sacks in both 2020 and 2021, is currently tied for the league lead this season, with 17 sacks. If he's still the league leader after Sunday's games, he'll be the first player ever to have the official league lead in three different seasons.
Several players besides Watt have led the league in sacks in two different seasons, most recently his older brother J.J. Watt, who led the NFL in sacks in 2012 and 2015. Others who have done it are Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, Michael Strahan, Kevin Greene, Reggie White and Mark Gastineau.
And before sacks became an official statistic, Deacon Jones led the NFL five different times according to the unofficial stats kept at Pro Football Reference.
Watt bounced back from last year's injury-plagued season to re-establish himself as one of the NFL's premier pass rushers. And one of the best ever.
