NFL teams have positioned a premium on quarterbacks in latest years, with some of the maximum-paid players at the placement receiving at least $30 million a year. As such, it is no marvel that groups have also been inclined to pay players that get after the quarterback.
Defensive players do not get quite as a good deal fanfare as the offensive players inside the NFL, however a handful of them are on $one hundred million deals. Most of them are pass rushers, and more than one them are some of the NFL's 25 highest-paid players for 2021.
There are a few one of a kind approaches you can observe the very best-paid protective gamers. Fans generally tend to depend on average annual salary for the most component, but general settlement fee and the money guaranteed at signing are also crucial when assessing a settlement's fee.
Sporting News is taking a study the highest-paid shielding gamers of 2021 and could break them down by way of common annual income, guaranteed money and overall agreement fee.
(All salary numbers are via Spotrac.com).
NFL's highest-paid defensive players based on 2021 salary
1. Joey Bosa, DE, Chargers
- Annual salary: $27 million
Bosa is currently the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. He signed a five-year extension worth $135 million during the 2020 offseason before the last year of his rookie contract. Bosa, 26, has averaged 12 sacks per 16 games during his career and is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. He'll play as a 3-4 outside linebacker as opposed to a 4-3 defensive end for the first time in 2021 under new head coach Brandon Staley.
2. Myles Garrett, DE, Browns
- Annual salary: $25 million
Garrett, 25, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and he has lived up to his billing. He has totaled 42.5 sacks during his career and has actually outdone Bosa, averaging 13 sacks per 16 games played. He also has 10 forced fumbles to his name. He's one of the best pass rushers in the NFL and is certainly the best player on Cleveland's defense.
3. Khalil Mack, OLB, Bears
- Annual salary: $23.5 million
Mack has long been one of the NFL's best pass rushers. He has 70.5 career sacks and has made the Pro Bowl six consecutive times. During his seven-year career, he has been named an All-Pro first-teamer three times. The Bears have to be happy with the production they've gotten for him since acquiring him from the Raiders in 2018.
4. Aaron Donald, DT, Rams
- Annual salary: $22.5 million
Donald is arguably the NFL's pleasant defensive participant. The 30-12 months-old has won the AP's Defensive Player of the Year award three times inside the final four years. In 2018, he notched a league-main 20.Five sacks and got here within two of tying Michael Strahan's file. And he did that at protecting address, a role from which it's far more tough to log sacks. Donald has been an All-Pro six consecutive instances as well. The Rams are probably over the moon that Donald is the fourth-highest-paid defender inside the NFL; it is in reality a thieve for them.
T-5. DeForest Bucker, DT, Colts
- Annual salary: $21 million
Buckner signed a four-year, $84 million contract after being traded to the Colts before the 2020 NFL Draft. His first season in Indianapolis was great, as he was named an All-Pro and logged 9.5 sacks. He has posted 29 sacks in the last three years and is just 27 years old.
T-5. Leonard Williams, DT, Giants
- Annual salary: $21 million
Williams, 27, broke out last season and recorded 11.5 sacks for the Giants. He had only totaled 17.5 combined in his previous five NFL seasons. Williams signed a three-year deal worth $63 million during the 2021 offseason. The contract compensates him at the same rate as Buckner, though Williams' deal is a year shorter.
T-5. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys
- Annual salary: $21 million
Lawrence, 29, had back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks in 2017 and 2018. He totaled 25 in those two years combined. In the two years since, he has just 11.5 sacks. He's still a strong defender and hasn't missed a game since 2016,
8. Frank Clark, DE, Chiefs
- Annual salary: $20.8 million
Clark, 28, was traded from the Seahawks to the Chiefs in 2019 and signed an extension worth $104 million over five years. For Kansas City, Clark has notched 14 sacks and three forced fumbles in two seasons. He has averaged eight sacks and two forced fumbles per 16 games for the squad and has made the Pro Bowl in each of his two seasons there.
T-9. Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs
- Annual salary: $20 million
Jones and Clark form a formidable pass-rushing duo for the Chiefs. Clark is slightly higher-paid than Jones, but Jones has actually been more productive. He has averaged 10.7 sacks, 4.3 pass defenses and 1.7 forced fumbles per game over the last three seasons. Jones is still just 27 so he is just entering the prime of his career.
T-9. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Rams
- Annual salary: $20 million
The Chiefs are not the handiest crew with two players in this list. The Rams have both Donald and Ramsey, who're a few of the maximum-paid at their positions. Ramsey is the best-paid cornerback inside the NFL, and the 26-12 months-old has been an All-Pro twice — as soon as in 2017 and as soon as in 2020. He averages nearly 12 bypass defenses consistent with year and has 10 profession interceptions as well.
NFL's highest-paid defensive players in guaranteed money
Joey Bosa would not simply make greater yearly than different NFL defenders. He additionally makes the maximum guaranteed cash of the bunch. His $78 million in ensures is the maximum for any defensive participant in NFL records and outpaces the second-region Khalil Mack via $18 million. Aaron Donald is the handiest other shielding player that earns at least $50 million in guarantees.
The only marvel on the listing can be C.J. Mosley, who has barely performed for the Jets when you consider that signing a five-yr, $85 million with the Jets at some stage in the 2019 offseason. He has visible action in just two video games because of harm and opting out of the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Rank | Player | Total guarantees |
| 1 | Joey Bosa | $78 million |
| 2 | Khalil Mack | $60 million |
| 3 | Aaron Donald | $50 million |
| 4 | DeMarcus Lawrence | $48 million |
| 5 | Leonard Williams | $45 million |
| 6 | Frank Clark | $43.8 million |
| 7 | Jalen Ramsey | $43.7 million |
| 8 | Myles Garrett | $43.5 million |
| 9 | C.J. Mosley | $43 million |
| 10 | Von Miller | $42 million |
NFL's highest-paid defensive players in total contract value
Seeing a $one hundred million settlement on the NFL was a rarity. Now, 9 of the pinnacle 10 defenders in overall settlement fee are making at least $100 million, but it is Khalil Mack who makes the maximum.
Mack signed a six-year deal worth $141 million when he changed into traded to the Bears in 2018. The extension will hold him with the Bears through 2025 and make sure that he's the very best-paid defender in the NFL. Aaron Donald and Joey Bosa are just a bit at the back of him, as each is making $135 million in step with year. That stated, Bosa's deal runs a year shorter than Donald's and Mack's, so that is why he is the best-paid player in phrases of average annual salary.
Marlon Humphrey is the lone player a number of the top-10 defenders that isn't on a $one hundred million deal. Jalen Ramsey is the NFL's highest-paid cornerback, and he's making $a hundred million over five years.
| Rank | Player | Total contract value |
| 1 | Khalil Mack | $141 million |
| T-2 | Aaron Donald | $135 million |
| T-2 | Joey Bosa | $135 million |
| 4 | Myles Garrett | $125 million |
| 5 | Von Miller | $114.1 million |
| 6 | DeMarcus Lawrence | $105 million |
| 7 | Frank Clark | $104 million |
| 8 | Fletcher Cox | $102.6 million |
| 9 | Jalen Ramsey | $100 million |
| 10 | Marlon Humphrey | $97.5 million |
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