He stood there alone. It was January 2021, late at night, and the freezing air at FedExField felt a bit heavier than usual. The Washington Football Team had just been bounced from the playoffs by Tom Brady and the Bucs. While everyone else headed for the heaters in the locker room, Ryan Kerrigan stayed on the grass. He looked at the end zones, probably thinking about the decade of chaos he’d caused within those lines.
Most players get a jersey swap and a handshake. Kerrigan got a moment of silence with the stadium he’d basically owned since 2011.
Honestly, if you were a fan of the Ryan Kerrigan Washington Redskins era, you knew this wasn't just another linebacker. He was the guy who never missed a day of work. Seriously. He started 139 consecutive games. In a sport where people get their ligaments shredded every Sunday, that’s not just luck. It's some kind of iron-man sorcery.
The Day the Legend Started (Sorry, Eli)
September 11, 2011. You couldn't write a better script. A rookie from Purdue, the 16th overall pick, walks onto the field against the New York Giants.
Halfway through the third quarter, Kerrigan doesn't just pressure Eli Manning. He reads the screen, leaps into the air like a volleyball player, bats the ball to himself, and rumbles nine yards into the end zone.
FedExField erupted. It was the first time they’d beaten the Giants at home in six years. That one play basically told the fans everything they needed to know for the next ten seasons: Kerrigan wasn't here to just take up space. He was a playmaker.
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He finished that rookie year with 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. But it wasn't just the stats. It was the "HBK" flex—the Shawn Michaels-inspired sack celebration that became a staple in D.C. He did it so often that kids in the DMV were doing it in Pee-wee football.
Breaking Dexter Manley’s "Unbreakable" Record
For years, Dexter Manley was the undisputed king of the sack in Washington. His 91 sacks felt like a mountain nobody was going to climb. Especially not in the modern NFL where quarterbacks get rid of the ball in two seconds.
But Kerrigan just... kept... coming.
He didn't have the flashy personality of a Deion Sanders or the loud mouth of some other edge rushers. He was "The Quiet Assassin." You’d look at the box score at the end of a game and realize he had two sacks and a forced fumble, and you barely noticed him because he just went back to the huddle every time like it was a grocery run.
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The All-Time Leaderboard
- Ryan Kerrigan: 95.5 sacks
- Dexter Manley: 91.0 sacks
- Charles Mann: 82.0 sacks
- Monte Coleman: 43.5 sacks
By the time he left for a cup of coffee in Philadelphia (we don't talk about that year much), he sat at the top with 95.5 career sacks for the franchise. He’s also one of only three players in NFL history to have 60+ sacks and 3+ interceptions returned for touchdowns. The other two? Jason Taylor and Julius Peppers. That’s first-ballot Hall of Fame company.
Why He Was the Ultimate Pro's Pro
We often talk about "culture" in sports like it’s this vague, magical thing. In Washington, through some pretty dark years and constant coaching changes, Ryan Kerrigan was the culture.
Chase Young once said that Kerrigan took him under his wing the second he was drafted, even though Young was literally there to eventually take his job. That's rare. Most veterans would get salty. Kerrigan just taught him how to hand-swipe.
He played through broken bones. He played through 3-13 seasons. He played through the transition from the Redskins to the Washington Football Team. And through it all, he was a four-time Pro Bowler (2012, 2016, 2017, 2018).
What Most People Get Wrong About His Game
There’s this weird misconception that Kerrigan was just a "high-motor" guy. That’s often scout-speak for "he’s not that athletic, he just tries hard."
Total nonsense.
Go back and watch the tape. He had a Bull-Rush that could move a 330-pound tackle backward like he was on roller skates. His hand usage was clinical. Pro Football Focus (PFF) routinely ranked him as one of the most productive pass-rushers in the league, often neck-and-neck with guys like Von Miller in terms of total quarterback pressures.
He wasn't just a "try-hard" player; he was a technician who knew exactly how to exploit the leverage of an offensive lineman.
The Transition to the Sideline
When he finally hung up the cleats in 2022, he didn't head for a beach in Florida. He went right back to the facility in Ashburn. He signed that one-day contract to retire in the burgundy and gold—because obviously—and then immediately started coaching.
He served as the assistant defensive line coach and is now working as an assistant linebackers coach and pass rush specialist. If you see the current defensive front playing with more discipline, there’s a good chance No. 91 had his hands in that.
How to Appreciate the Kerrigan Legacy Today
If you're a younger fan or just getting into the history of the team, don't just look at the sack totals. Watch how he set the edge against the run. Notice how he never took a play off, even when the team was down by 20.
Practical steps for the die-hard fan:
- Watch the 2014 Tape: This was his career-high year with 13.5 sacks. It’s a masterclass in edge rushing.
- Check the Forced Fumbles: He finished with 26 forced fumbles in Washington. He didn't just want the sack; he wanted the ball.
- Visit the Ring of Fame: He was recently named one of the "90 Greatest" players in franchise history. If you're ever at the stadium, find his name. It belongs there right next to the Hogs and the legends of the 80s.
Ryan Kerrigan wasn't just a great player for the Washington Redskins; he was the steady heartbeat of a franchise during a decade of total transformation.