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D.J. Jones says Broncos can break '84 Bears' sack record: 'We're about to eat again' | Latest NFL News, Analysis & Updates | NFL.com

Denver Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones believes the team can break the NFL record for sacks set by the 1984 Chicago Bears in the upcoming season.

First seen Aug 05, 2026 · 8:30 PM UTC · last updated Aug 07 5:30 PM

Scoring Zone's Take

This one's purely noise for fantasy purposes, but let's extract what's useful. D.J. Jones's comments about the Broncos chasing the 1984 Bears' single-season sack record are a confidence signal about Denver's front seven depth, not an individual usable stat for standard fantasy formats — D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, and Jonathon Cooper are rotational/run-stuffing pieces who don't carry IDP-relevant tackle/sack volume worth drafting outside deep IDP leagues. Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto are the names to actually watch here: if Denver's pass rush is as loaded as Jones suggests, Bonitto (already an ascending edge presence) and Allen (versatile interior/edge disruptor) are the two most likely to see snap-count and pass-rush-situation usage that translates into sack/pressure production in IDP formats.

For draft prep, treat this as a soft add signal for Bonitto and Allen in any IDP league that rewards sacks/tackles for loss — bump them into your DL/EDGE consideration mid-to-late in IDP drafts. Eyioma Uwazurike remains a name to monitor in camp reports for role clarity before committing draft capital; there's no snap-share or depth-chart detail here to justify anything more than a watchlist stash. D.J. Jones himself is fine as a very-late IDP flier if your league starts DTs, but his own box-score impact (tackles, occasional sacks) is modest even in a great pass-rush scheme — his value is more team-context than personal upside.

Confidence is low on translating this locker-room bravado into hard fantasy points; it's a August hype quote with zero snap or injury data attached. Don't overreact — file it as context for evaluating Denver's front-seven IDP options, not as a reason to reach for anyone specific on draft day.

D.J. Jones says Broncos can break '84 Bears' sack record: 'We're about to eat again'

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton addresses Broncos' chances of potentially signing Taysom Hill.

The Denver Broncos led all NFL teams in 2025 with 68 sacks, outpacing the next-best defense (Atlanta) by double-digits.

Where does Denver's D go from there? All the way to the top of the record books, says D.J. Jones.

"We can break it. We can break the record," the veteran defensive tackle said Wednesday when asked about the Broncos' sack goals in 2026. "What is that, 72? We can break it."

Those 72 sacks were compiled by the 1984 Bears, one of the best defenses in the history of the game. And Chicago set that mark in just 16 games, as compared to the 17 that the current Broncos have to work with.

The '25 Broncos' 68 quarterback takedowns are tied for fifth-most all time behind the '84 Bears, '89 Vikings (71), '22 Eagles (70) and '87 Bears (70).

Jones isn't the only Denver defender who's been confident this offseason about snapping Chicago's record. Pass rush mate Zach Allen said in early July that the Broncos "fully expect to break it" in 2026.

Denver has a better shot than most, especially considering it is returning most of its defensive standouts from 2025, including Allen (seven sacks) Nik Bonitto (14), Jonathon Cooper (8) and Malcolm Roach (four).

The Broncos will be forced to replace the production left behind by John Franklin-Myers, who went to Tennessee in free agency, but Jones said Wednesday that Roach and Eyioma Uwazurike (3.5) are more than able to take up JFM's mantle and help Vance Joseph's unit make history.

"We got what it takes," Jones said. "We've tasted it. Now, it's time to cook the meal, eat it and take a break.

"You know how you eat a good meal, and you lay down after to take a good nap, and you wake up and go eat again? We're about to eat again. It's time. We got the numbers, we got the men, we got the will power, we've got free will to go do it. So, it's up to us, and we'll go do that."

Coverage from Nfl Dot Com News · by Jeremy Bergman · Aug 05, 2026 · read original