Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan has collected another honor, as he has been named to PFWA's 2017 All-NFC Team following a 13-sack season.
Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan has been named to the Pro Football Writers of America's 2017 All-NFC Team.
Kerrigan was selected following a season in which he was named to his third Pro Bowl. Starting all 16 regular season games for the seventh straight season, the 2011 first-round pick totaled 46 tackles with 13 sacks – a half-sack away from tying his career high set in 2014 – along with three fumbles forced and one interception.
In Washington's regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kerrigan recorded the third interception of his career, returning it 24 yards for the Redskins' first touchdown of the year. Additionally, the Purdue product recorded a half-sack.
Kerrigan would record at least a half-sack in 10 games during the season and recorded two sacks in four different games.
In a Week 12 victory over the New York Giants, Kerrigan's two-sack performance put him in rare company amongst NFL pass rushers. With a first-quarter sack, his eighth of the season at the time, Kerrigan joined Jared Allen, Derrick Thomas, DeMarcus Ware and Reggie White as the only players in NFL history to record at least 7.5 sacks in each of the first seven seasons of a career since the NFL adopted sacks as an official statistic in 1982.
He also tied Redskins great Dexter Manley for the most seasons (seven) with at least 7.5 sacks.
Four weeks after that performance, Kerrigan toppled the 10-sack mark on the year with two takedowns of Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler. In the process, Kerrigan would join Charles Mann (five) and Manley (four) as the only Redskins to record at least three 10-sack seasons since the NFL adopted sacks as an official statistic in 1982.
"You're just so impressed with not only what he is as a football player but as a person and how he conducts himself on and off the field," said Redskins head coach Jay Gruden of Kerrigan in November. "He's always available, he's practicing every day, he's playing hard every day, he consistently has a high motor every week and, you know, he's just a great captain, great leader – not a captain, but a great role model for these young guys coming up and preparing themselves to be great NFL players – you can't have enough Ryan Kerrigans on your team."
In his seven seasons with Washington to date, Kerrigan has amassed 368 tackles with 71.5 sacks – third most in franchise history – with 22 fumbles forced, 22 passes defensed, three interceptions and three touchdowns.
