# List of NFL annual interceptions leaders

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. In addition to the NFL interception leaders, league record books recognize the interception leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.
The single-season interception record is held by Night Train Lane, who logged 14 interceptions in 1952 while playing for the Los Angeles Rams as a rookie. Prior to that, Dan Sandifer of the Washington Redskins and Spec Sanders of the New York Yanks jointly held the record, earning 13 interceptions in 1948 and 1950 respectively. The record for most seasons leading the league in interceptions is three. This was first achieved by Everson Walls, who led the league in interceptions in 1981, 1982, and again in 1985. Ed Reed was later able to match Walls by leading the league in 2004, 2008, and 2010. Bill Bradley became the first player to lead the league in interceptions in consecutive seasons (1971 and 1972), with Everson Walls being the only other player to do so (1981 and 1982). The most recent player to lead the league in interceptions is Kerby Joseph of the Detroit Lions, who finished with nine interceptions in the 2024 NFL season.

## NFL annual interceptions leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the most interceptions in the NFL |
| Ints | The total number of interceptions the player had |
| TDs | The number of interceptions returned for a touchdown by the player (pick-sixes) |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| ^ | Active player |
| * | Set the single-season interception record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
NFL annual interceptions leaders by season :
| Season | Leader | Ints | TDs | GP | Team |
| 1940 | Don Hutson† | 6* | 0 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1940 | Ace Parker† | 6* | 1 | 11 | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| 1940 | Kent Ryan | 6* | 0 | 10 | Detroit Lions |
| 1941 | Marshall Goldberg | 7* | 0 | 11 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1941 | Art Jones | 7* | 0 | 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1942 | Bulldog Turner† | 8* | 1 | 11 | Chicago Bears |
| 1943 | Sammy Baugh† | 11* | 0 | 10 | Washington Redskins |
| 1944 | Howie Livingston | 9 | 1 | 10 | New York Giants |
| 1945 | Roy Zimmerman | 7 | 0 | 10 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1946 | Bill Dudley† | 10 | 1 | 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1947 | Frank Reagan | 10 | 0 | 10 | New York Giants |
| 1947 | Frank Seno | 10 | 0 | 10 | Boston Yanks |
| 1948 | Dan Sandifer | 13* | 2 | 12 | Washington Redskins |
| 1949 | Bob Nussbaumer | 12 | 0 | 12 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1950 | Spec Sanders | 13 | 0 | 12 | New York Yanks |
| 1951 | Otto Schnellbacher | 11 | 2 | 12 | New York Giants |
| 1952 | Night Train Lane† | 14* | 2 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1953 | Jack Christiansen† | 12 | 1 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1954 | Night Train Lane† (2) | 10 | 0 | 12 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1955 | Will Sherman | 11 | 0 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1956 | Lindon Crow | 11 | 0 | 12 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1957 | Jack Butler† | 10 | 0 | 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1957 | Jack Christiansen† (2) | 10 | 1 | 10 | Detroit Lions |
| 1957 | Milt Davis | 10 | 2 | 12 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1958 | Jimmy Patton | 11 | 0 | 11 | New York Giants |
| 1959 | Milt Davis (2) | 7 | 1 | 11 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1959 | Dean Derby | 7 | 0 | 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1959 | Don Shinnick | 7 | 0 | 12 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1960 | Dave Baker | 10 | 0 | 12 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1960 | Jerry Norton | 10 | 0 | 12 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1961 | Dick Lynch | 9 | 0 | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1962 | Willie Wood† | 9 | 0 | 14 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1963 | Dick Lynch (2) | 9 | 3 | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1963 | Rosey Taylor | 9 | 1 | 14 | Chicago Bears |
| 1964 | Paul Krause† | 12 | 1 | 14 | Washington Redskins |
| 1965 | Bobby Boyd | 9 | 1 | 14 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1966 | Larry Wilson† | 10 | 2 | 14 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1967 | Lem Barney† | 10 | 3 | 14 | Detroit Lions |
| 1967 | Dave Whitsell | 10 | 2 | 14 | New Orleans Saints |
| 1968 | Willie Williams | 10 | 0 | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1969 | Mel Renfro† | 10 | 0 | 14 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1970 | Johnny Robinson† | 10 | 0 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1971 | Bill Bradley | 11 | 0 | 14 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1972 | Bill Bradley (2) | 9 | 0 | 14 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1973 | Dick Anderson | 8 | 2 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1973 | Mike Wagner | 8 | 0 | 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1974 | Emmitt Thomas† | 12 | 2 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1975 | Mel Blount† | 11 | 0 | 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1976 | Monte Jackson | 10 | 3 | 14 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1977 | Lyle Blackwood | 10 | 0 | 14 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1978 | Thom Darden | 10 | 0 | 16 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1979 | Mike Reinfeldt | 12 | 0 | 16 | Houston Oilers |
| 1980 | Lester Hayes | 13 | 1 | 16 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1981 | Everson Walls | 11 | 0 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1982 | Everson Walls (2) | 7 | 0 | 9 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1983 | Mark Murphy | 9 | 0 | 15 | Washington Redskins |
| 1984 | Kenny Easley† | 10 | 2 | 16 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1985 | Everson Walls (3) | 9 | 0 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1986 | Ronnie Lott† | 10 | 1 | 14 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1987 | Barry Wilburn | 9 | 1 | 12 | Washington Redskins |
| 1988 | Scott Case | 10 | 0 | 16 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1989 | Felix Wright | 9 | 1 | 16 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1990 | Mark Carrier | 10 | 0 | 16 | Chicago Bears |
| 1991 | Ronnie Lott† (2) | 8 | 0 | 16 | Los Angeles Raiders |
| 1992 | Henry Jones | 8 | 2 | 16 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1992 | Audray McMillian | 8 | 2 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1993 | Nate Odomes | 9 | 0 | 16 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1993 | Eugene Robinson | 9 | 0 | 16 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1994 | Eric Turner | 9 | 1 | 16 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1994 | Aeneas Williams† | 9 | 0 | 16 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 1995 | Orlando Thomas | 9 | 1 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1996 | Tyrone Braxton | 9 | 1 | 16 | Denver Broncos |
| 1996 | Keith Lyle | 9 | 0 | 16 | St. Louis Rams |
| 1997 | Ryan McNeil | 9 | 1 | 16 | St. Louis Rams |
| 1998 | Ty Law† | 9 | 1 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 1999 | Donnie Abraham | 7 | 2 | 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1999 | James Hasty | 7 | 2 | 15 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1999 | Sam Madison | 7 | 1 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1999 | Troy Vincent | 7 | 0 | 14 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1999 | Rod Woodson† | 7 | 2 | 16 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2000 | Darren Sharper | 9 | 0 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2001 | Ronde Barber† | 10 | 1 | 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2001 | Anthony Henry | 10 | 1 | 16 | Cleveland Browns |
| 2002 | Brian Kelly | 8 | 0 | 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2002 | Rod Woodson† (2) | 8 | 2 | 16 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2003 | Tony Parrish | 9 | 0 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2003 | Brian Russell | 9 | 0 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2004 | Ed Reed† | 9 | 1 | 16 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2005 | Ty Law† (2) | 10 | 1 | 16 | New York Jets |
| 2005 | Deltha O'Neal | 10 | 0 | 15 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2006 | Champ Bailey† | 10 | 1 | 16 | Denver Broncos |
| 2006 | Asante Samuel | 10 | 0 | 15 | New England Patriots |
| 2007 | Antonio Cromartie | 10 | 1 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 2008 | Ed Reed† (2) | 9 | 2 | 16 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2009 | Jairus Byrd | 9 | 0 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 2009 | Asante Samuel (2) | 9 | 0 | 16 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2009 | Darren Sharper (2) | 9 | 3 | 14 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2009 | Charles Woodson† | 9 | 3 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2010 | Ed Reed† (3) | 8 | 0 | 10 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2011 | Kyle Arrington | 7 | 0 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2011 | Eric Weddle | 7 | 0 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 2011 | Charles Woodson† (2) | 7 | 1 | 15 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2012 | Tim Jennings | 9 | 1 | 14 | Chicago Bears |
| 2013 | Richard Sherman | 8 | 1 | 16 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2014 | Glover Quin | 7 | 0 | 16 | Detroit Lions |
| 2015 | Reggie Nelson | 8 | 0 | 16 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2015 | Marcus Peters | 8 | 2 | 16 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2016 | Casey Hayward | 7 | 1 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 2017 | Kevin Byard^ | 8 | 0 | 16 | Tennessee Titans |
| 2017 | Darius Slay^ | 8 | 0 | 16 | Detroit Lions |
| 2018 | Kyle Fuller | 7 | 0 | 16 | Chicago Bears |
| 2018 | Xavien Howard^ | 7 | 0 | 12 | Miami Dolphins |
| 2018 | Damontae Kazee^ | 7 | 0 | 16 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2019 | Stephon Gilmore^ | 6 | 2 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2019 | Anthony Harris | 6 | 1 | 14 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2019 | Tre'Davious White^ | 6 | 0 | 15 | Buffalo Bills |
| 2020 | Xavien Howard^ (2) | 10 | 0 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 2021 | Trevon Diggs^ | 11 | 2 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2022 | Minkah Fitzpatrick^ | 6 | 1 | 15 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2022 | C. J. Gardner-Johnson^ | 6 | 0 | 12 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2022 | Justin Simmons^ | 6 | 0 | 12 | Denver Broncos |
| 2022 | Riq Woolen^ | 6 | 1 | 17 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2023 | DaRon Bland^ | 9 | 5 | 17 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2024 | Kerby Joseph^ | 9 | 1 | 17 | Detroit Lions |

## AFL annual interceptions leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the most interceptions in the AFL |
| Ints | The total number of interceptions the player had |
| TDs | The number of interceptions returned for a touchdown by the player (pick-sixes) |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| * | Player set the single-season interception record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
AFL annual interceptions leaders by season :
| Season | Player | Ints | TDs | GP | Team |
| 1960 | Goose Gonsoulin | 11* | 0 | 14 | Denver Broncos |
| 1961 | Billy Atkins | 10 | 0 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1962 | Lee Riley | 11 | 0 | 14 | New York Titans |
| 1963 | Fred Glick | 12* | 1 | 14 | Houston Oilers |
| 1964 | Dainard Paulson | 12 | 1 | 14 | New York Jets |
| 1965 | W. K. Hicks | 9 | 0 | 14 | Houston Oilers |
| 1966 | Bobby Hunt | 10 | 0 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1966 | Johnny Robinson† | 10 | 1 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1967 | Miller Farr | 10 | 3 | 14 | Houston Oilers |
| 1967 | Tom Janik | 10 | 2 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1967 | Dick Westmoreland | 10 | 1 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1968 | Dave Grayson | 10 | 1 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1969 | Emmitt Thomas† | 9 | 1 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |

## Most seasons leading the league

| Count | Player | Seasons | Team(s) |
| 3 | Ed Reed | 2004, 2008, 2010 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 3 | Everson Walls | 1981, 1982, 1985 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2 | Bill Bradley | 1971, 1972 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2 | Jack Christiansen | 1953, 1957 | Detroit Lions |
| 2 | Milt Davis | 1957, 1959 | Baltimore Colts |
| 2 | Xavien Howard | 2018, 2020 | Miami Dolphins |
| 2 | Night Train Lane | 1952, 1954 | Los Angeles Rams / Chicago Cardinals |
| 2 | Ty Law | 1998, 2005 | New England Patriots / New York Jets |
| 2 | Ronnie Lott | 1986, 1991 | San Francisco 49ers / Los Angeles Raiders |
| 2 | Dick Lynch | 1961, 1963 | New York Giants |
| 2 | Asante Samuel | 2006, 2009 | New England Patriots / Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2 | Darren Sharper | 2000, 2009 | Green Bay Packers / New Orleans Saints |
| 2 | Charles Woodson | 2009, 2011 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2 | Rod Woodson | 1999, 2002 | Baltimore Ravens / Oakland Raiders |