San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Samson Ebukam had a very specific goal in mind this season: get over 4.5 sacks.
The 27-year-old finally accomplished his goal in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, recording a sack against David Blough to bring his total to 5.5, a career high that snaps a frustrating four-year streak.
For four straight years with the Raiders and Niners, Ebukam landed on exactly 4.5 sacks. Despite playing every game from 2019 to 2021, which included the first year the NFL increased the length of its season to 18 weeks, he wound up at that number every time.