Peppers now top 5 all-time sacks list

GREEN BAY – On the day he joined the NFL’s top five in all-time sacks, Green Bay Packers edge rusher Julius Peppers left the locker room without speaking with reporters.

That’s how his 15th NFL season has mostly gone. Peppers has been quiet, on and off the field. He’s also continued to compile numbers.

Peppers sacked Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler for a 10-yard loss at the end of the first half. It gave him 142.5 sacks in his career, moving past former New York Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan for fifth on the all-time list.

“Julius has just been a model of consistency,” linebacker Clay Matthews said, “with what he’s been able to do in Year 15, whatever it is now. You lose track (of the years), but I’ve always kept track of where he’s at as far as statistically. It’s good to see him just continue to show up week in and week out, year in and year out. I’m happy to see him kind of take hold of that fifth spot and pass up hall of famers left and right.

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“Hopefully, we can keep him around, and he can take that No. 4 spot and work his way up. We’ll see about that.”

Peppers is eight sacks from tying former Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Chris Doleman for fourth on the all-time list. Doleman ended his career with 150.5.

Bruce Smith retired as the NFL’s sacks king with 200. Former Packers defensive end Reggie White retired second with 198.

rwood@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ByRyanWood