In American football, an interception (INT), also known as a pick, occurs when a pass intended for a player of the same team is caught by an opposition player, who then gains possession for their team. The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season and did not begin tracking interceptions until 1940. As a result of the AFL–NFL merger, league record books also recognize statistics from the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.
There have been 39 players who have recorded at least 50 interceptions. Paul Krause is the all-time leader, with 81 interceptions. Due to rule changes and increasingly detailed offensive schemes, among other factors, the rate of interceptions has dropped considerably from 1971 (5.78%) to 2018 (2.37%). As of , no active player has at least 40 interceptions.
Players with at least 50 interceptions
+ Key Symbol Meaning Ints The total number of interceptions the player had Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ^ Active player
+ NFL career interceptions leaders Rank Player Position Team(s) 1 Safety Washington Redskins () 81 Minnesota Vikings () 2 Defensive back New York Giants () 79 Green Bay Packers () 3 Defensive back Pittsburgh Steelers () 71 San Francisco 49ers () Baltimore Ravens () Oakland Raiders () 4 Cornerback Los Angeles Rams () 68 Chicago Cardinals () Detroit Lions () 5 Cornerback Cincinnati Bengals () 65 Defensive back Oakland Raiders (, ) Green Bay Packers () 7 Safety Baltimore Ravens () 64 Houston Texans () New York Jets () 8 Defensive back San Francisco 49ers () 63 Los Angeles Raiders () New York Jets () Safety Green Bay Packers () Minnesota Vikings () New Orleans Saints () 10 Defensive back Pittsburgh Steelers () 62 Seattle Seahawks () Green Bay Packers () Defensive back Detroit Lions () 12 Defensive back Kansas City Chiefs () 58 13 Defensive back Pittsburgh Steelers () 57 Cornerback Baltimore Colts () Safety Seattle Seahawks () Green Bay Packers () Atlanta Falcons () Carolina Panthers () Defensive back Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs () Cornerback Dallas Cowboys () New York Giants () Cleveland Browns () 18 Cornerback Detroit Lions () 56 Defensive back St. Louis Cardinals () Washington Redskins () 20 Defensive back Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals () 55 St. Louis Rams () 21 Defensive back Washington Redskins () 54 Cornerback Denver Broncos () Oakland Raiders () Cornerback Philadelphia Eagles () New Orleans Saints () Oakland Raiders () 24 Cornerback New England Patriots () 53 New York Jets (, ) Kansas City Chiefs () Denver Broncos () Cornerback Atlanta Falcons () San Francisco 49ers () Dallas Cowboys () Washington Redskins () Baltimore Ravens () 26 Cornerback Washington Redskins () 52 Denver Broncos () Defensive back Pittsburgh Steelers () Defensive back Green Bay Packers () Safety New York Giants () Defensive back Dallas Cowboys () Safety St. Louis Cardinals () 32 Defensive back Minnesota Vikings () 51 Cornerback New England Patriots () Philadelphia Eagles () Atlanta Falcons () Defensive back Pittsburgh Steelers () 35 Defensive back Green Bay Packers () 50 Miami Dolphins (, ) Denver Broncos () New England Patriots () New York Jets () New York Giants () Safety Los Angeles Rams () Philadelphia Eagles () Safety Kansas City Chiefs () Safety Seattle Seahawks () Minnesota Vikings () Defensive back Detroit Lions ()
Historical career interceptions leaders
+ Player Team(s) while leader Season(s) 1 Don Hutson Green Bay Packers 6 Ace Parker Brooklyn Dodgers Kent Ryan Detroit Lions 2 George McAfee Chicago Bears 10 3 Don Hutson Green Bay Packers 14 4 Sammy Baugh Washington Redskins 23 27 31 5 Tied Irv Comp Green Bay Packers 34 6 Frank Reagan Philadelphia Eagles 35 7 Emlen Tunnell New York Giants ()Green Bay Packers () 40 46 54 61 67 73 74 76 79 8 –present Paul Krause Minnesota Vikings 81
See also List of NFL annual interceptions leaders
References