Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has started this season on a tear, picking up right where he left off at the end of last season. And on Sunday, he could set a new NFL record for the most sacks over any five-game stretch since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.
Hutchinson has 5.5 sacks through two games this season, and he had 5.0 sacks in the last two games of the 2023 regular season. With 10.5 sacks in four games, he’s 2.5 sacks on Sunday against the Cardinals away from 13 sacks in five games, which would be a new NFL record.
The current record was set by Michael Strahan, who had 12.5 sacks in a five-game stretch from Weeks 3-7 of the 2001 season. That was the year that Strahan broke the NFL record with 22.5 sacks, with some help from Brett Favre in the season finale.
Three other players have had 12 sacks in a five-game stretch: Hall of Famers Richard Dent and Derrick Thomas, and Aldon Smith, who at one point looked like a future Hall of Famer before legal and personal problems derailed his career.
Hutchinson is looking like a future Hall of Famer, and from all indications he has no issues off the field. He’s playing at an all-time great level, and at the age of 24 he appears to have a very bright future.