Rams’ pass rush and Myles Garrett put NFL sack-record talk within reach, but it’s still a steep climb

The idea is simple, even if the math is not: can a team run a season-long pass rush program strong enough to threaten the NFL record for most sacks in a single year? Denver’s defensive tackle D.J. Jones said this week that the Broncos can break the league mark, and his wager on Denver’s ceiling immediately raises the same question about the Rams, who now feature Myles Garrett as one of the league’s most disruptive pass rushers.

Garrett’s presence matters because sack totals are not just a product of one standout. They tend to reflect a coordinated approach across the front seven, clean communication in pass protection, and quarterback pressure applied consistently enough to force throws that land in the pass rusher’s path. With Garrett in Los Angeles, the Rams have at least the foundational piece teams typically need when they are chasing elite sack production.

At the same time, the record is set apart by its rarity. Even when a defensive line is stacked with talent, sack totals can be affected by factors that are difficult to plan for: the pace of offensive drives, opponent game plans that slide protection toward the rush, and the quality of the quarterback matchup. A team can have a dominant pass rush and still miss the top of the all-time leaderboard if those variables do not align over an entire season.

The Rams and Broncos represent two different expressions of the same blueprint. Jones’s comments suggest Denver is aiming for a season where pressure is not only present, but sustained and multiplied across multiple pass rushers, including the interior and edge roles that can turn partial wins into clean finishing sacks. For the Rams, the question becomes whether Garrett’s individual impact can translate into an overall production level that supports high double-digit sack seasons across the defensive front, rather than concentrating only on one player’s stat line.

It is also worth noting what this kind of discussion can and cannot predict in the preseason-to-regular-season transition. Training camp and early work can shape how frequently a defense wins with tactics, but the league’s sack leaders are typically decided by execution over months, including how the defense responds as offenses adjust. That makes any “capable of toppling the record” claim feel bold, even when the roster is legitimate.

For Los Angeles, the immediate storyline is whether the Rams can convert pressure into sacks at a pace that keeps the team in the conversation deep into the season. For Denver, Jones’s prediction sets an internal target and provides an external headline that can either energize the unit or become a standard that invites scrutiny. In both cases, the league’s pass-rush arms race is as much about consistency and adaptability as it is about raw talent.

The next checkpoint is what the Rams look like once the schedule turns fully competitive. If Los Angeles is repeatedly getting opponents into obvious passing situations and generating multiple pressure looks, Garrett’s baseline skill can carry the unit toward record-range sack totals. If pressure is uneven or if opponents neutralize the edges too effectively, the record chase will fade quickly, regardless of who leads the team’s sack chart.