10 NFL records in danger of being broken this year
By Dustin Baker
8. Aaron Donald – Most Sacks in a Single-Season
Current Record Holder: Michael Strahan (22.5), 2001
Because Aaron Donald is so magnificent, he gets the nod on the sack-record possibility. Donald is 29 years old, putting him at a true physical and mental prime of his career.
He’s a defensive tackle that has a pass-rushing acumen better than most of the league’s defensive ends. In the way he is positioned on the Los Angeles Rams defensive line — the interior — he really should not be getting as many sacks as he does on an annual basis. The edge spot of a defensive line is typically where the most quarterback pressure is born.
For Donald, that does not matter. He can manufacture pandemonium regardless of his spot on the field.
In 2018, Donald recorded 20.5 sacks falling 2.5 sacks short of the NFL record. Michael Strahan controversially set the record in 2001 when the aforementioned Brett Favre effectively laid on the ground enabling Strahan to become the all-time single-season leader. This should not cheapen Strahan’s legacy, but it was a hot-button occurrence when it played out nearly two decades ago.
Should Donald replicate his 2018 volume of pressure, he could conquer Strahan’s mark. Donald has tabulated double-digits sacks in 67 percent of his seasons played since he entered the league in 2014.