The Atlanta Falcons today announced that they have agreed to terms with defensive end John Abraham.
Abraham, 6-4, 263 pounds, was originally selected by the New York Jets in the first round (13th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft. He was acquired by the Falcons in exchange for a first round draft choice in a 2006 trade. In 12 seasons, he has totaled 549 tackles (401 solo) with 112.0 sacks, 38 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 19 passes defensed and one interception. Since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, Abraham's 112.0 sacks rank 16th in NFL history. He is also the NFL's active sack leader and is one of just 25 players to record 100-or-more career sacks during the 93-year history of the National Football League.
In 2011, Abraham posted 31 tackles (24 solo) with 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He notched a season-high 3.5 sacks in a Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, which marked the 26th multi-sack game of his career. The 12-year veteran earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the fourth time in his career and the second time as a Falcon for his performance in that game.
In six seasons in Atlanta, Abraham has totaled 58.5 sacks, which ranks tied with Chuck Smith (1992-98) for second in franchise history and ranks fifth in the NFL during that time. He set a franchise record for most sacks in a single-season with 16.5 in 2008, topping Joel Williams who posted 16.0 in 1980. The arrival of defensive-minded Head Coach Mike Smith in 2008 helped Abraham total 44.5 sacks over the last four seasons, which ranks fourth in the NFL.
