In the 2008 matchup against the St. Louis Rams, Ware tied the NFL record of former Denver Broncos linebacker Simon Fletcher for recording a sack in ten straight games. Ware was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl after pacing the league, establishing an official club record and tying Derrick Thomas for sixth in league history with 20 sacks. Ware ended the 2008 season with 84 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, six forced fumbles, and two passes defended. Ware was named NFC Defensive Player of the Year by Kansas City Committee as well as NFL Alumni Pass Rusher of the Year. Ware became the first recipient of the professional Butkus Award. Ware finished the 2008 season as the league leader in sacks for the first time in his career. Joey Porter finished second on the list with 17.5 sacks and John Abraham third with 16.5 sacks.