NFL Sacks Were Not An Official Stat Until 1982. Deacon Jones Has None On The Record

Deacon Jones is credited with coining the word sack for tackling the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. He played 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, two with the San Diego Chargers and one with the Redskins, finishing his career in 1974. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Official only since 1982

When Jones died in 2013, the Associated Press noted that because sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982, his total is uncertain. The Rams' records credit him with 159 1/2 sacks for the team and 173 1/2 for his career, all unofficial.

Researchers John Turney and Nick Webster later used NFL gamebooks and film to rebuild sack totals from before 1982, and Pro Football Reference now displays them, as CBS Sports reported in 2021. The NFL has not made those numbers official.

The official record

The official career record belongs to Bruce Smith, who finished with exactly 200 sacks for the Buffalo Bills and Washington. The Pro Football Hall of Fame calls him the NFL's all-time sack leader.