In 1982, 14 years after the Cincinnati Bengals played their first-ever game, the NFL began tracking sacks as an official statistic. Many Hall of Fame pass-rushers registered their quarterback takedowns before that year, but finding those unofficial numbers has been a challenge over the last 40 years.
This week, after years of research, Pro-Football-Reference.com posted unofficial sack numbers going all the way back to 1960. 22 seasons of sack numbers instantly became public, which means it’s time to re-examine some record books.
Officially, former Bengals pass-rushers Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins sit atop the Bengals’ all-time sack list.