Josh Hines-Allen has done it.
The seventh-year pass rusher moved into sole possession of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ franchise sack record. Hines-Allen recorded a sacks against the Los Angeles Chargers to stand alone in the club’s history.
He danced his way into the history books, hitting his sack celebration—inspired by Nick Cannon in Love Don’t Cost a Thing, his former teammate Charles Jones dared him to do it early in his career—and brought Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert down.
Hines-Allen tied the franchise record for sacks against the Las Vegas Raiders, against whom he logged 1.5 sacks on Geno Smith and notched his 55th career sack. Now, the record is his to set as high as he can.
“I’m happy because this is a goal that I set for myself coming into the league,” he said of tying the record and being a sack away from owning it. “Be the best wherever I step foot. I’m on the verge of uttering those words.”
Hines-Allen was selected at No. 7 in the 2019 NFL Draft. He has become a standout on Jacksonville’s defense in his 6½ seasons, recording 323 total tackles, 137 quarterback hits and 69 tackles for a loss to go along with the 56 sacks.
He has made two Pro Bowls, as a rookie and in 2023, when he had a career-best 17.5 sacks. He was named an AFC All-Pro by the Pro Football Writers Association in 2023 and has earned conference player of the week honors three times in his career.
Hines-Allen downplays success, lauds high praise from teammates and coaches
The 17.5 sacks he recorded in 2023 stand as a franchise record for most in a single season and now he has the franchise record at 56 and counting.
“It’s instant history. Even though he’s going to downplay it, it’s etched in history,” longtime teammate Dawuane Smoot said of Hines-Allen after he tied the record for franchise sacks. “It’s nothing that anybody can take away and it’s going to be in the record books forever.”
Though Hines-Allen has set the record, he cared more about the results of the game with the Jaguars bouncing-back with a win. It’s part of his personality as a leader, putting his teammates ahead of his own accomplishments or accolades.
He has often the first player to congratulate teammates after they make a big play — regardless of the side of the ball they play on.
Even after breaking the single season record for sacks, he gave praise to teammate Travon Walker and challenged him to one day break that record.
“He’s about as selfless a player as you’re going to run into. He really enjoys all the other parts of the game,” defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said, noting that Hines-Allen was almost indifferent about tying the record. “In terms of the rush and all that stuff, he’s a guy that cares about his teammates. So, that’s been really refreshing just being around a guy like that.”
In the win against the Raiders, Hines-Allen leaped on DaVon Hamilton’s shoulders after his game-sealing pass deflection. He also swarmed Buster Brown after his interception near the start of the second half.
He celebrated both plays as if they were his own, because that’s the type of teammate he is.
“It’s a production league and everybody is trying to get theirs, but to have somebody that looks out for you just as much as they look out for themselves, it’s a beautiful thing,” Smoot said. “It’s really a testament to the man he is and the man he’s becoming each and every day.”
Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker still have yet to hit full stride together as pass rushers
Even when talking about tying the franchise record and eventually setting it, Hines-Allen gave a nod to Walker, whose locker is next to his. He said he wants to set the record as high as he can so that Walker has something to shoot for.
“Regardless of however long he’d been in the league before me, he wants me to be great, and he knows that I can be great,” Walker said of Hines-Allen. He said he looks up to Hines-Allen as a big brother. “Which is why he’s steadily trying to put that pressure on me. I wouldn’t even say it’s pressure.
“He just keeps leading in the right direction as he should and obviously, he pushes me every day like I push him.”
Walker suffered a wrist injury that required surgery in Week 4 and has played with a club on his wrist since then. It’s limited his game this season and has caused him to go slow out of the gate.
But with a player like Hines-Allen at his side, his gaze has never left the high expectations they have for themselves and each other.
“Seeing all the hard work that Josh put in from the time that he I got here as a rookie and all the way up until now,” Walker said. “He’s just stayed consistent with getting to the quarterback, putting in the same work he was doing every day.”
Josh Hines-Allen has become a pillar, leader for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Hines-Allen has rooted himself as a leader for the team. It’s not because he says he’s one or because he has a golden ‘C’ stitched onto his jersey every week.
It’s how he carries himself in the building. Campanile noted that it’s always about improving with Hines-Allen, even keeping it about business after tying the sack record.
“I’m happy for him, but I don’t feel like he in any way is satisfied,” Campanile said.
That unsatisfaction has come by way of the Jaguars stumbling this season, especially in the pass rush department. Entering Week 10, they had a league-worst 10 sacks. That was 30 less than the Denver Broncos, who had 40 in the first nine weeks of the season.
In fact, the Broncos recorded nine sacks in a single game when they beat the New York Jets earlier this year. So of course, the leader of the Jaguars’ defense wouldn’t be satisfied with his or the team’s performance after a 35-6 win over the Chargers.
“There’s definitely the record and all that is obviously on the horizon, and we all want it for him and I know he wants it bad too,” head coach Laim Coen said of Hines-Allen. “But he also at the forefront of his mind is continuing to take us to the next level as an organization, as a team, and winning being the number one goal.”
Hines-Allen’s influence on the franchise can’t be overstated. In 2023, amid his standout 17.5 sack season, he opted to only do an interview in the locker room if practice squad tight end Gerritt Prince could do it with him. The two of them conducted the interview side-by-side with Prince giving praise to the leader and teammate Allen has been to him despite not even playing on the same side of the ball.
He has taken rookie undrafted free agents B.J. Green and Danny Striggow under his wing this season. They get the rookie treatment and have the honor of carrying his gear after practice, but he also spends time talking with them and giving them extra guidance.
“He’s dedicated and it’s not like he goes out searching for plays,” Striggow said. “He just does his job and it’s got him in the position he’s in today.”
Hines-Allen signed a five-year contract extension in 2023 that’ll tie him to the franchise until the 2028 season. At the time it was the largest contract extension in franchise history at $141 million.
It’s too far out to think about his next contract, but knowing Hines-Allen, he’ll likely want to remain with the team and push his sack record even further. And when he finally calls it a career, his teammates have an idea of what they want to happen.
“I’m hoping at the end, they build a statue, and I can take a picture in front of it,” Smoot said with a laugh.
If Walker has his way, the statue will be of him—not Hines-Allen.
“I’m definitely going for it,” he said with a smile when asked about one day breaking the record. “I’m going beyond it.”