The Atlanta Falcons have officially set a new franchise record for sacks in a single season, breaking their previous record of 56. In the third quarter of the Falcons' Week 18 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, the record was broken on consecutive sacks from first-round rookie James Pearce Jr.
Not only did Pearce trigger the play that surpassed the 55-sack total from 1997, he took down Tyler Shough on back-to-back plays. The record saw him become the first Falcons' pass rusher to record double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley Jr. did so in 2016, which is another impressive feat in itself.
The Dirty Birds' pass rush in years past has been genuinely dismal, as they only recorded just 31 sacks a season ago, which was good for second-to-last in football. But in just one season with a revamped defense under new DC Jeff Ulbrich, they now rank second in the NFL in sacks this season.
The Falcons officially broke the franchise's single-season sack record
Fans were originally frustrated with Terry Fontenot's decision to part with the Falcons' 2026 first-round pick to trade up for the 22-year-old, but his sensational rookie season has helped rewrite the narrative, especially because a Defensive Rookie of the Year award could very well be in his future.
And that same trade helped the Dirty Birds land Xavier Watts as well.
Following a two-game sack drought, the Tennessee product is right back to living in the backfield. He currently leads all rookies with 10.5 sacks, while also taking a team lead in the category after entering the weekend tied with second-year defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus with 8.5 sacks on the season.
The last rookie to record double-digit sacks is Micah Parsons, and his sack total is the most by a rookie since Parsons logged 13 of his own back in 2021. He's since become one of the best EDGE rushers in football and the highest-paid non-QB in league history, so Pearce is in some elite company.
However, the Falcons found two pass-rushing cornerstones in the 2025 NFL Draft, as Jalon Walker has also looked every bit like a future superstar this season. While his numbers don't jump off the page like his fellow first-rounder, the skillsets of the youngsters complement one another perfectly.
Walker has been better in coverage and against the run, while Pearce has been a savant at getting to the quarterback. There has been debate in recent weeks considering if Abdul Carter has had a better season than him, but after these records, the answer to that one is a resounding "no".
And given they broke the record with several different players making an impact, it's proof the future is bright on the defensive line in Atlanta, and Fontenot did a fantastic job investing in the position.