Julius Peppers has been far from great this year, but his production in limited opportunities has pushed him into some of the rarest air in league history.

After collecting a sack in Monday night’s game in Philadelphia, Peppers is now tied for fifth all time with 141.5 sacks. One more and he’ll push Michael Strahan out of the top five for good.

I was skeptical but optimistic when Peppers made the trip north from Chicago, but the results of one of Ted Thompson’s rare forays into free agency have been nothing short of outstanding.

With five games to go in the final year of his contract, Peppers has produced 23 sacks, forced nine fumbles (and recovered three), and intercepted two passes, returning both for touchdowns (including one in prime time against the Vikings). The Packers have gotten their money’s worth, especially considering that Peppers was 34 when he came aboard.

Sacks are probably as misleading as they are helpful when it comes to measuring the efficacy of a pass rusher, but Peppers is one of a kind.

His sacks may not always have been meaningful, but the chance to see him play out the end of his career in Green Bay has been a treat. Seeing him climb into the top five is just icing on the cake.