Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers reached 150 career sacks after collecting a sack against the Philadelphia Eagles early in the first quarter on Thursday Night Football. Peppers, a nine-time Pro Bowler, joins Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Kevin Greene, and Chris Doleman as the only players in NFL history to record 150 sacks in their careers.
Julius Peppers is only the 5th player to ever record 150 career sacks
Peppers, 37, is still playing like he’s in his 20s.
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
This was the play in which Peppers clinched his 150th sack, forcing a Carson Wentz fumble:
Why is this important?
Peppers, 37, continues to show opposing offenses that he can still dominate games the same way he did in the early 2000s. He isn’t done climbing the all-time sacks list, either. Doleman only leads Peppers by half a sack, while Greene had 160.
Peppers racked up 150 career sacks in 240 games and averaged 9 1/2 sacks per season from 2002 to 2016. He’s been a model of consistency throughout his entire career. The Panthers used the second pick in the 2002 NFL draft to select Peppers. During his first stint with the Panthers — which lasted from 2002 to 2009 — he compiled 81 sacks and 30 forced fumbles.
Following the 2009 season, Peppers took his talents to the Chicago Bears and continued to dominate opposing offensive linemen. He racked up 37 1/2 sacks in four seasons with the Bears.
Then, Peppers signed with the Green Bay Packers in 2014 and spent three seasons there. He had to covert to linebacker because the Packers ran a 3-4 defense. That transition didn’t affect Peppers’ play — he totaled 25 sacks during his stint with the Packers.
Peppers decided to return to the Panthers this offseason, and he has a chance to finish his career there.
What does this mean for Peppers?
This huge feat adds on to the list of Peppers’ many accomplishments. He’s a three-time first-team All-Pro and considered one of the best defensive players of all time. The only thing missing from Peppers’ long list of achievements is a Lombardi Trophy.
But even if he doesn’t win a Super Bowl, Peppers could be a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he retires. Until that day comes, he’ll continue to sack opposing quarterbacks.
See More:
