Aaron Rodgers is on the verge of passing Tom Brady in the NFL record book, but it's for a record that Rodgers would probably prefer not to have.
The record is for most sacks taken, a mark that's currently held by Brady, who was sacked 565 times over the course of his 23-year career (OUCH). Heading into the 2024 season, Rodgers has been sacked a total of 531 times. If the 40-year-old ends up starting every game for the Jets this season, there's a good chance that he's going to top the record.
Over the course of his career, Rodgers has started at least 15 games in 13 different seasons. During those 13 years, he's taken an average of 36.7 sacks per season.
If Rodgers hits that average in 2024, that would put him at 567.7 sacks taken in his career, which would top Brady. (However, it wouldn't top the unofficial record of 570 sacks, which is held by Fran Tarkenton, according to Pro Football reference. It's not the official record because Tarkenton's career started in 1961 and the NFL didn't start tracking how often a QB was sacked until 1963. And a sack didn't count in a defender's stats until 1982).
Here's a look at the most sacked quarterbacks of all time:
1. Fran Tarkenton* (570 -- Unofficial)
2. Tom Brady (565)
3. Ben Roethlisberger (554)
4. Aaron Rodgers (531)
5. Russell Wilson (527)
Although Rodgers only played five snaps last season before tearing his Achilles, he did add one sack to his total before he got hurt.
As he's gotten older, Rodgers hasn't necessarily gotten better about avoiding sacks. When Rodgers won the MVP in 2021, he was sacked 30 times. As recently as 2018, he was sacked 49 times. Not to mention, he'll be playing behind an offensive line that certainly has some health question marks. Tyron Smith has been injury prone in his career while Alijah Vera-Tucker is coming off a 2023 season where he tore his Achilles. It also features several newcomers, including John Simpson, Morgan Moses and Smith.
Of course, even if Rodgers passes Brady, he might not break the record and that's because Russell Wilson could get there first. The Steelers starter has been sacked an average of 43.9 times per season in his career, so if he ends up starting the entire season for Pittsburgh, he might end up passing Rodgers, Brady and Tarkenton.
