When you play for such a long time as a quarterback in the NFL, you’re bound to take your fair share of sacks.

Russell Wilson knows that fact all too well, as he passed former Pittsburgh Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger and became the third-most sacked player in league history following the team’s loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas.

As pointed out by Steelers Depot’s Matthew Marczi, Wilson has taken 29 sacks through his 10 starts for Pittsburgh this season, including five against Kansas City. His career total now sits at 556, which is two ahead of Roethlisberger’s mark of 554.

Defenses have averaged 42.77 sacks per year against Wilson, which is an absurd pace that all but guarantees he will close out his tenure in the league as the most sacked quarterback of all-time.

For instance, Pro Football Reference lists Fran Tarkenton atop that leaderboard with 570 takedowns despite the fact that sacks were not tracked until 1982 while his playing days ended in 1978.

His average per campaign was 31.67, far lower than Wilson’s number, and had he not missed the first six games of the year with a calf injury, there’s an outside chance he would’ve already surpassed Tarkenton.

Tom Brady is formally viewed as the most sacked quarterback with 565 due to Tarkenton’s record not being considered official. Aaron Rodgers sits at No. 2 with 564, meaning he’d jump up to the top of the list all by himself if he drops down two or more times in the backfield during Week 18 for the New York Jets.

Roethlisberger briefly held the title in the final year of his career in 2021, though that glory only lasted for so long as Brady surpassed him the following season.

Wilson’s sack rate is unusually high due to the fact that he’s always been adept at extending plays and scrambling, though it’s set a precedent that may never again be touched.

The next closest active player in that regard is Matthew Stafford, who’s been taken down 502 times while playing for three more years than Wilson.

Baker Mayfield has a chance to skyrocket up the rankings somewhere down the line given that he’s averaged 35.29 sacks per campaign over his seven-year career, though we’re a far way off from him even sniffing Wilson’s figure.

Wilson hasn’t let the constant pressure derail his Hall of Fame-worthy career, though it’s certainly an interesting footnote.

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Associated Press

Pittsburgh Penguins (16-15-5, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. New York Islanders (13-15-7, in the Metropolitan Division)

Elmont, New York; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins visit the New York Islanders after Michael Bunting’s two-goal game against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Penguins’ 7-3 win.

New York has gone 13-15-7 overall with a 3-3-2 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Islanders have a 13-3-4 record in games they score at least three goals.

Pittsburgh has a 2-6-1 record in Metropolitan Division play and a 16-15-5 record overall. The Penguins have a -20 scoring differential, with 111 total goals scored and 131 conceded.

The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season. The Islanders won the previous matchup 4-3 in a shootout.

TOP PERFORMERS: Anders Lee has 13 goals and 14 assists for the Islanders. Maxim Tsyplakov has four goals and two assists over the last 10 games.

Evgeni Malkin has seven goals and 22 assists for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby has two goals and 12 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Islanders: 4-5-1, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.5 assists, 2.5 penalties and five penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

Penguins: 6-3-1, averaging four goals, 6.5 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

INJURIES: Islanders: None listed.

Penguins: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 10-6 and have now lost control of the AFC North as they head into the postseason. Their postseason berth is already clinched, so they have nothing to worry about there, but if they want to win their first playoff game in over a decade, many things need to be fixed.

Yet, one analyst says this recent stretch proves it’s time for the Steelers to blow it up entirely. Jason McIntyre says the Steelers should trade T.J. Watt and hit the reset button because it is what the team needs.

“I took a lot of heat when I said over the offseason the Steelers should trade T.J. Watt and start over, but I wasn’t wrong,” McIntyre said. “I was just early. I looked for nine or 10 weeks, but this team needs to start over.”

When McIntyre suggested the offseason, it was to the tune of the Steelers landing multiple first-round picks that would allow them to cobble together enough capital to land a franchise quarterback in the draft.

That is what McIntyre believes is ultimately holding the Steelers back from contention, placing much of the blame at the feet of Russell Wilson. Even still, the Steelers are not going to trade Watt and believe they can win a Super Bowl with him.

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