Seattle’s Seahawks inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks leads the NFL in career tackles this season with 149 and is favored by NFL betting bookies to finish the season as the player with the most tackles at the end of the 2022 regular season.
The 25-year-old former Texas Tech player has registered 390 total sacks since he made his debut in 2020.
Despite a promising start to his career, he has a long way to go to break the all-time record for most career tackles in the NFL.
This is a list of the top five all-time tackles leaders, solo and assisted.
Zach Thomas
- Stat: 1,734 tackles
- Teams: Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys
- Draft pick: selected 5th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft
Thomas spent 12 years as the starting linebacker for the Dolphins and was a key piece in their 4-3 defensive formation. He finished his career in Dallas as the starting linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
Thomas registered at least 150 tackles in six different seasons and crossed 125 tackles in ten seasons during his NFL career. He’s made the Pro Bowl seven times and was selected All-Pro on five occasions.
Although a Pro Football Hall of Fame election has eluded him, many fans believe he deserves a spot at Canton. The 49-year-old, who played for Texas Tech in college, is one of the NFL’s most prolific linebackers of all time and was considered one of the top defenders during his time in the league.
Jessie Tuggle
- Stat: 1,804 tackles (1,640 solos, 164 assisted)
- Teams: Atlanta Falcons
- Draft pick: undrafted
Photo: Luis SantoyoBefore making it to the NFL, “The Hammar” spent four years at Valdosta State University on a scholarship. He set a school record for most tackles during his four years in college (340) before signing with the Falcons after training camp.
He was an important member of Atlanta’s 4-3 defensive unit, playing as a middle linebacker. He also spent some time as an inside linebacker in the Falcons’ 4-3 defense.
He had one of the best decade-long runs among NFL players; he logged in 100+ tackles every season from 1988 to 1996, registered more than 150 tackles on six occasions, and a whopping 200+ tackles in two seasons.
Junior Seau
- Stat: 1,847 tackles
- Teams: San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots
You can’t make a list of all-time dominant NFL linebackers without mentioning Seau. The USC alumni spent 13 years with the Chargers during his prime.
He was a top 3 contender for Rookie of the Year and went on to make 12 straight NFL Pro Bowls and nine All-Pros (6× First-Team, 3× Second-Team). RIP Junior.
London Fletcher
- Stat: 2,039 tackles
- Teams: St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Redskins
Fletcher never missed a single game throughout his 16 seasons in the NFL. He played 256 games and was a starting linebacker in 240 of those games. He started 215 consecutive games, the joint-seventh-longest streak in NFL history.
He had a 14-year streak of registering at least 100 tackles. He hit 125+ tackles 12 times and exceeded 150 tackles twice in his career.
Nicknamed “dot.com” for his consistency and reliability, Fletcher won the Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams in 2000. He made the Pro Bowl four times and All-Pros twice.
Ray Lewis
- Stat: 2,059 tackles (1,568 solos, 491 assisted)
- Teams: Baltimore Ravens
Lewis’ NFL resumè reads 2× Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP, 7× First-Team All-Pro, 13× Pro Bowl, 2× DPOY, and more. Talk about a legendary career.
Lewis spent all his 17 seasons as a Pro Bowler in Baltimore. He’s considered the greatest middle linebacker of all time and the greatest player to don a Baltimore Ravens jersey. He is in an elite group of players to have featured in the Pro Bowl in three decades (the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s).
Behind every outstanding athlete are his serious training and hard-working spirit. If you are their fan, do you want to have some peripheral products about them to collect and motivate yourself?
Make lapel pins, and some die-cut stickers with favorite players as both decorations and collectibles.
Featured Image: Luis Santoyo
