Steelers' Russell Wilson Surpasses Ben Roethlisberger on Wrong List

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson has surpassed a franchise icon's total in an unglamorous category.

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

When you play for such a long time as a quarterback in the NFL, you're bound to take your fair share of sacks.

Russell Wilson knows that fact all too well, as he passed former Pittsburgh Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger and became the third-most sacked player in league history following the team's loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas.

As pointed out by Steelers Depot's Matthew Marczi, Wilson has taken 29 sacks through his 10 starts for Pittsburgh this season, including five against Kansas City. His career total now sits at 556, which is two ahead of Roethlisberger's mark of 554.

Defenses have averaged 42.77 sacks per year against Wilson, which is an absurd pace that all but guarantees he will close out his tenure in the league as the most sacked quarterback of all-time.

For instance, Pro Football Reference lists Fran Tarkenton atop that leaderboard with 570 takedowns despite the fact that sacks were not tracked until 1982 while his playing days ended in 1978.

His average per campaign was 31.67, far lower than Wilson's number, and had he not missed the first six games of the year with a calf injury, there's an outside chance he would've already surpassed Tarkenton.

Tom Brady is formally viewed as the most sacked quarterback with 565 due to Tarkenton's record not being considered official. Aaron Rodgers sits at No. 2 with 564, meaning he'd jump up to the top of the list all by himself if he drops down two or more times in the backfield during Week 18 for the New York Jets.

Roethlisberger briefly held the title in the final year of his career in 2021, though that glory only lasted for so long as Brady surpassed him the following season.

Wilson's sack rate is unusually high due to the fact that he's always been adept at extending plays and scrambling, though it's set a precedent that may never again be touched.

The next closest active player in that regard is Matthew Stafford, who's been taken down 502 times while playing for three more years than Wilson.

Baker Mayfield has a chance to skyrocket up the rankings somewhere down the line given that he's averaged 35.29 sacks per campaign over his seven-year career, though we're a far way off from him even sniffing Wilson's figure.

Wilson hasn't let the constant pressure derail his Hall of Fame-worthy career, though it's certainly an interesting footnote.

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