In American football, a tackle is when a defensive player forces the player with the ball to the ground or out of bounds to stop the runner from advancing downfield and to end the play. This is a list of National Football League (NFL) players with the most combined tackles in their careers and players with the most solo tackles in their careers. Tackles are not an official stat recorded by the NFL and are tracked by a scorekeeper of the home team. Pro Football Reference has combined tackle numbers dating back to the season and solo tackle numbers back to the season. However, combined tackle numbers before the season are incomplete and limited to few players.
Ray Lewis is the current all-time leader of both combined tackles and solo tackles with 2,059 and 1,568. Demario Davis is the leader of active players for both combined tackles and solo tackles with 1,548 and 958.
Career combined tackles leaders
+ Key Symbol Meaning Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ^ Active player
Updated through Week 4 of the NFL season.
+ List of career NFL combined tackle leadersRankPos.PlayerCombined tacklesCareer Ref. 1 LB 2,059 Baltimore Ravens () 2LB 2,039 St. Louis Rams () Buffalo Bills () Washington Redskins () 3LB 2,000 Seattle Seahawks () Los Angeles Rams () Seattle Seahawks () Washington Commanders () 4LB 1,847 San Diego Chargers () Miami Dolphins () New England Patriots () 5LB 1,805 Atlanta Falcons () 6LB 1,734 Miami Dolphins () Dallas Cowboys () 7LB 1,716 Tampa Bay Buccaneers () 8LB 1,713 Tampa Bay Buccaneers () 9LB 1,595 Cleveland Browns () Atlanta Falcons () 10LB 1,586 Pittsburgh Steelers () Tampa Bay Buccaneers () Jacksonville Jaguars () Green Bay Packers () 11LB^ 1,568 New York Jets () Cleveland Browns () New York Jets () New Orleans Saints () New York Jets (–present) 12LB 1,501 Kansas City Chiefs () San Diego Chargers () Kansas City Chiefs () 13LB 1,484 New York Jets () 14LB 1,440 Atlanta Falcons () Dallas Cowboys () Denver Broncos () New York Jets () Pittsburgh Steelers () 16 S 1,439 New England Patriots () Buffalo Bills () Atlanta Falcons () Seattle Seahawks () 17 LB 1,431 Cincinnati Bengals () Buffalo Bills () Philadelphia Eagles () San Francisco 49ers () San Diego Chargers () 18LB 1,422 Arizona Cardinals () Miami Dolphins () Arizona Cardinals () Cleveland Browns () Cincinnati Bengals () Arizona Cardinals () 19 S 1,413 Seattle Seahawks () Green Bay Packers () Atlanta Falcons () Carolina Panthers () 20 LB 1,363 Detroit Lions () Buffalo Bills () 21LB1,361 Chicago Bears () 22S1,333 Indianapolis Colts () San Francisco 49ers () Arizona Cardinals () New York Giants () 23LB1,272 Dallas Cowboys () San Francisco 49ers () 24LB1,265New Orleans Saints () Carolina Panthers () 25LB1,252Buffalo Bills () Atlanta Falcons () Minnesota Vikings ()
Career solo tackles leaders
+ Key Symbol Meaning Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ^ Active player
Updated through Week 4 of the NFL season.
+ List of career NFL solo tackle leadersRankPos.PlayerSolo tacklesCareer Ref. 1 LB 1,568 Baltimore Ravens () 2LB 1,384 St. Louis Rams () Buffalo Bills () Washington Redskins () 3LB 1,300 Tampa Bay Buccaneers () 4LB 1,172 Tampa Bay Buccaneers () 5LB 1,150 Seattle Seahawks () Los Angeles Rams () Seattle Seahawks () Washington Commanders () 6LB 1,135 Kansas City Chiefs () San Diego Chargers () Kansas City Chiefs () 7LB 1,107 Miami Dolphins () Dallas Cowboys () 8LB 1,103 Atlanta Falcons () Dallas Cowboys () Denver Broncos () 9LB 1,077 Arizona Cardinals () Miami Dolphins () Arizona Cardinals () Cleveland Browns () Cincinnati Bengals () Arizona Cardinals () San Diego Chargers () Miami Dolphins () New England Patriots () 11LB 1,046 Chicago Bears () 12CB 1,044 Tampa Bay Buccaneers () 13 S 1,033 New England Patriots () Buffalo Bills () Atlanta Falcons () Seattle Seahawks () 14 LB 1,018 Cincinnati Bengals () Buffalo Bills () Philadelphia Eagles () San Francisco 49ers () San Diego Chargers () 15 LB 1,012 New York Jets () Pittsburgh Steelers () 16 CB 997 Oakland Raiders () Green Bay Packers () Oakland Raiders () 17S 995 Indianapolis Colts () San Francisco 49ers () Arizona Cardinals () New York Giants () 18LB^ 970 New York Jets () Cleveland Browns () New York Jets () New Orleans Saints () New York Jets (–present) 19 LB 955 Kansas City Chiefs () Oakland Raiders () 20LB 944 Chicago Bears () 21CB 935 Buffalo Bills () Minnesota Vikings () 22S 920 San Diego Chargers () New England Patriots () 23S 911 Philadelphia Eagles () Denver Broncos () 24S 903 San Diego Chargers () Baltimore Ravens () Los Angeles Rams (, ) 25LB 896 Indianapolis Colts () Jacksonville Jaguars () Atlanta Falcons ()
See also List of NFL annual tackles leaders
References