Aaron Donald led the NFL in sacks this season, and his team is appearing in this year’s Super Bowl. That’s pretty rare: in the last 30 years, it’s happened just twice: Vic Beasley on the 2016 Falcons, and Kevin Carter on the ’99 Rams. If history repeats itself, it will mean that the two times the Rams have won the Super Bowl, it will have done so with the league’s sack leader, with no other team in the last 30 years having pulled off that feat even once.
The full list of sack leaders since the statistic began being officially tracked by the NFL in 1982, along with how that team’s season ended:
| Year | Player (Age) | Tm | Sk | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Aaron Donald (27) | LAR | 20.5 | Made Super Bowl |
| 2017 | Chandler Jones (27) | ARI | 17 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2016 | Vic Beasley (24) | ATL | 15.5 | Lost - Super Bowl |
| 2015 | J.J. Watt (26) | HOU | 17.5 | Lost - WC Rd |
| 2014 | Justin Houston (25) | KAN | 22 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2013 | Robert Mathis (32) | IND | 19.5 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 2012 | J.J. Watt (23) | HOU | 20.5 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 2011 | Jared Allen (29) | MIN | 22 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2010 | DeMarcus Ware (28) | DAL | 15.5 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2009 | Elvis Dumervil (25) | DEN | 17 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2008 | DeMarcus Ware (26) | DAL | 20 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2007 | Jared Allen (25) | KAN | 15.5 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2006 | Shawne Merriman (22) | SDG | 17 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 2005 | Derrick Burgess (27) | OAK | 16 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2004 | Dwight Freeney (24) | IND | 16 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 2003 | Michael Strahan+ (31) | NYG | 18.5 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2002 | Jason Taylor+ (28) | MIA | 18.5 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2001 | Michael Strahan+ (29) | NYG | 22.5 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2000 | La'Roi Glover (26) | NOR | 17 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1999 | Kevin Carter (25) | STL | 17 | Won Super Bowl |
| 1998 | Michael Sinclair (30) | SEA | 16.5 | Missed Playoffs |
| 1997 | John Randle+ (29) | MIN | 15.5 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1996 | Kevin Greene+ (34) | CAR | 14.5 | Lost - CCG |
| 1995 | Bryce Paup (27) | BUF | 17.5 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1994 | Kevin Greene+ (32) | PIT | 14 | Lost - CCG |
| 1993 | Neil Smith (27) | KAN | 15 | Lost - CCG |
| 1992 | Clyde Simmons (28) | PHI | 19 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1991 | Pat Swilling (26) | NOR | 17 | Lost - WC Rd |
| 1990 | Derrick Thomas+ (23) | KAN | 20 | Lost - WC Rd |
| 1989 | Chris Doleman+ (27) | MIN | 21 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1988 | Reggie White+ (26) | PHI | 18 | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1987 | Reggie White+ (25) | PHI | 21 | Missed Playoffs |
| 1986 | Lawrence Taylor+ (27) | NYG | 20.5 | Won Super Bowl |
| 1985 | Richard Dent+ (24) | CHI | 17 | Won Super Bowl |
| 1984 | Mark Gastineau (27) | NYJ | 22 | Missed Playoffs |
| 1983 | Mark Gastineau (26) | NYJ | 19 | Missed Playoffs |
| 1982 | Doug Martin (25) | MIN | 11.5 | Lost - Div Rd |
Donald is also going to win the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award for the second straight season, barring a shocking upset. There have been 11 instances where the AP DPOY also won the Super Bowl, with 4 of those in the 1970s. The last player to do it was James Harrison of the 2008 Steelers.
| Year | AP DPOY | Team | Playoff Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | Made Super Bowl |
| 2017 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | Lost - WC Rd |
| 2016 | Khalil Mack | Oakland Raiders | Lost - WC Rd |
| 2015 | J.J. Watt | Houston Texans | Lost - WC Rd |
| 2014 | J.J. Watt | Houston Texans | Missed Playoffs |
| 2013 | Luke Kuechly | Carolina Panthers | Lost - Div Rd |
| 2012 | J.J. Watt | Houston Texans | Lost - Div Rd |
| 2011 | Terrell Suggs | Baltimore Ravens | Lost - CCG |
| 2010 | Troy Polamalu | Pittsburgh Steelers | Lost - Super Bowl |
| 2009 | Charles Woodson | Green Bay Packers | Lost - WC Rd |
| 2008 | James Harrison | Pittsburgh Steelers | Won Super Bowl |
| 2007 | Bob Sanders | Indianapolis Colts | Lost - Div Rd |
| 2006 | Jason Taylor | Miami Dolphins | Missed Playoffs |
| 2005 | Brian Urlacher | Chicago Bears | Lost - Div Rd |
| 2004 | Ed Reed | Baltimore Ravens | Missed Playoffs |
| 2003 | Ray Lewis | Baltimore Ravens | Lost - WC Rd |
| 2002 | Derrick Brooks | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Won Super Bowl |
| 2001 | Michael Strahan | New York Giants | Missed Playoffs |
| 2000 | Ray Lewis | Baltimore Ravens | Won Super Bowl |
| 1999 | Warren Sapp | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Lost - CCG |
| 1998 | Reggie White | Green Bay Packers | Lost - WC Rd |
| 1997 | Dana Stubblefield | San Francisco 49ers | Lost - CCG |
| 1996 | Bruce Smith | Buffalo Bills | Lost - WC Rd |
| 1995 | Bryce Paup | Buffalo Bills | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1994 | Deion Sanders | San Francisco 49ers | Won Super Bowl |
| 1993 | Rod Woodson | Pittsburgh Steelers | Lost - WC Rd |
| 1992 | Cortez Kennedy | Seattle Seahawks | Missed Playoffs |
| 1991 | Pat Swilling | New Orleans Saints | Lost - WC Rd |
| 1990 | Bruce Smith | Buffalo Bills | Lost - Super Bowl |
| 1989 | Keith Millard | Minnesota Vikings | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1988 | Mike Singletary | Chicago Bears | Lost - CCG |
| 1987 | Reggie White | Philadelphia Eagles | Missed Playoffs |
| 1986 | Lawrence Taylor | New York Giants | Won Super Bowl |
| 1985 | Mike Singletary | Chicago Bears | Won Super Bowl |
| 1984 | Kenny Easley | Seattle Seahawks | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1983 | Doug Betters | Miami Dolphins | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1982 | Lawrence Taylor | New York Giants | Missed Playoffs |
| 1981 | Lawrence Taylor | New York Giants | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1980 | Lester Hayes | Oakland Raiders | Won Super Bowl |
| 1979 | Lee Roy Selmon | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Lost - CCG |
| 1978 | Randy Gradishar | Denver Broncos | Lost - Div Rd |
| 1977 | Harvey Martin | Dallas Cowboys | Won Super Bowl |
| 1976 | Jack Lambert | Pittsburgh Steelers | Lost - CCG |
| 1975 | Mel Blount | Pittsburgh Steelers | Won Super Bowl |
| 1974 | Joe Greene | Pittsburgh Steelers | Won Super Bowl |
| 1973 | Dick Anderson | Miami Dolphins | Won Super Bowl |
| 1972 | Joe Greene | Pittsburgh Steelers | Lost - CCG |
| 1971 | Alan Page | Minnesota Vikings | Lost - Div Rd |
Donald can join an even more exclusive club by winning Super Bowl MVP: only Ray Lewis and Harvey Martin (who shared the SBMVP honors with teammate Randy White) have been both AP DPOY and Super Bowl MVP in the same season. If Donald wins Super Bowl MVP, he would join Martin and Richard Dent as the only players to lead the league in sacks and win the Super Bowl MVP award, and join Martin as the only player to also be the AP DPOY. Martin unofficially led the NFL in sacks in 1977 with 20 according to research by John Turney. In addition, for purposes of the first list, Bill Stanfill of the ’73 Dolphins also led the league in sacks and was on the Super Bowl champion, although he was neither Super Bowl MVP nor AP DPOY.