In the early days of the NFL, quarterbacks weren’t all that important. Teams mostly ran anyway. But as the game grew and became more popular, the more exciting forward pass went front and center, which made the QB the most important player on the field. And in time, the men tasked with harrying them, now called pass-rushers, became the most important on the other side of the ball.
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Tackling a quarterback who is dropping back to pass is devastating for offenses. You lose a down, and you usually lose major yardage. You could also lose the ball or your quarterback. One of the greatest pass-rushers of all time, Deacon Jones, eventually coined a phrase for this impactful play: the sack.
“Sacking a quarterback is just like you devastate a city or you cream a multitude of people. I mean it’s just like you put all the offensive players in one bag or sack and I just take a baseball bat and beat on the bag.”
It is a badge of honor for a defender to take down a quarterback. So do you think they would feel bad for the QB that they’re devastating or creaming? Jones certainly didn’t, and this latest crop of 2025 pass-rushers in the league is no different. Many of the best in the business right now were asked that question recently, and the answers were predictably apathetic and hilarious. Resident NFL funny man, New Orleans Saints edge Cameron Jordan, got it started.
“Why would I ever feel bad for doing my job? My job is to make, hopefully, their girlfriends upset and their mothers cry.”
He was not alone. Las Vegas Raiders pass-rusher Maxx Crosby, a four-time Pro Bowler who just signed a three-year, $106.5 million deal thanks to his sacking prowess, was on the same page. And he went even deeper, getting spiritual with his love of sacking the QB.
“No. Absolutely not. It’s the best feeling in the world. That’s why football’s the greatest. It allows me to exorcise every demon, everything I’ve gone through. Everything in my soul that I’m passionate about, I get to go out there and just cut it loose.”
Arizona Cardinals edge rusher BJ Ojulari, who had 4.0 sacks as a rookie in 2023 before losing his entire 2024 season to a torn ACL, was also of the mind that defenders can’t even consider feeling bad about essentially doing their job.
“Nah, you can NOT feel bad. That’s part of the game! That’s how you get paid! Especially a sack? That’s the best feeling in the world. Sack-fumble that’s the best play in the world too.”
Kansas City Chiefs edge George Karlaftis and Buffalo Bills rookie edge Landon Jackson were of the same mind, though they were a little less chuffed than the others about getting the job done. Former Chargers sack master Shawne Merriman, off “Lights Out” fame, called sacking a quarterback “exhilarating”.
“No, it was exhilarating. I loved it. Best thing in the world.”
Raiders rookie Jah Joyner didn’t feel bad either, saying he loves to sack quarterbacks because he used to want to be one. Future Hall of Famer Von Miller capped it off by comparing sacking a quarterback with running through a sheet of paper. May the pass-rusher/quarterback rivalry live on forevermore.
