The NFL's highest-paying contracts used to belong largely to quarterbacks and other offensive skill players, but in recent seasons, defensive players have seen their earnings rise.
It used to be that $100 million contracts for defensive players were a rarity. Albert Haynesworth signed the first of them on Feb. 27, 2009, and his failed tenure in Washington scared teams away from them.
Slowly but surely, though, defensive players have been able to push contract values back up. Now, most of the NFL's highest-paid defenders are on deals worth at least $100 million, with Khalil Mack's $141 million pact leading the group.
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Edge rushers and defensive tackles tend to be the players compensated at the highest rate, which makes sense because they are the ones pressuring the always-valuable quarterbacks. That said, some cornerbacks and linebackers are in, or pushing to be in, the top 10, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see a greater positional mix in the future.
Here's a look at the league's highest-paid defensive players for 2023, with all salary information viaSpotrac.com.
This story will be updated as contracts are signed throughout the 2023 season.
NFL's highest-paid defensive players based on 2023 salary
1. Aaron Donald, DT, Rams
- Annual salary: $31.7 million
There was uncertainty about whether Donald would return for the 2023 NFL season, but the seven-time All-Pro hasn't retired yet. He is coming off a down year: he played in just 11 games due to an ankle injury and had a career-low five sacks.
Still, Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and has 103 career sacks, so he is well worth his price tag.
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2. T.J. Watt, EDGE, Steelers
- Annual salary: $28million
How important was Watt to the Steelers' success in 2022? In the 10 games that he played, the Steelers went 8-2. In the seven he missed, the team was 1-6.
Watt is a three-time All-Pro and led the NFL in sacks during both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He tied the NFL's single-season sack record in the latter campaign and was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year as a result.
Certainly, Watt is well worth his $112 million deal and the $80 million in guarantees — the most ever given to a defensive player. He should prove to be a bargain for the Steelers if he continues to make such a difference.
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3. Joey Bosa, EDGE, Chargers
- Annual salary: $27 million
Bosa played in just five games last season for the Chargers, but he was still able to log 2.5 sacks. That has been the story of his career.
Bosa has averaged 0.72 sacks per game during his six-year NFL career, but he has only played a full season twice. He is the NFL's third-highest-paid player in AAV but has the second-highest overall contract value.
MORE:NFL salary cap cuts 2023: Team-by-team tracker of players released
Because of that, Bosa will need to stay healthy in 2023. Otherwise, the 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year could become a cap casualty.
4. Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns
- Annual salary: $25 million
Garrett has long been one of the NFL's most unblockable players. He has posted double-digit sacks in five consecutive seasons and has totaled 74.5 sacks in 84 career games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
One could make the case that Garrett is the NFL's best pass-rusher, and he's still just 27. All that's to say that he is well worth the $25 million per season he is making.
T-5. Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Raiders
- Annual salary: $23.5 million
The Raiders extended Crosby during the 2022 offseason, and he immediately repaid the trust the team showed in him. He posted a career-high 12.5 sacks last season and led the NFL with 22 tackles for loss.
Crosby is a do-it-all defender: he's great against the run, he's a top-tier pass-rusher and has 16 pass defenses in four NFL seasons. He turns 26 in August, so he should only continue to improve in Season 5.
T-5. Khalil Mack, EDGE, Chargers
- Annual salary: $23.5 million
It's a bit ironic that Mack and Crosby are paid the same amount considering that the Raiders traded Mack because he was on a big-time contract.
Mack has long been one of the NFL's most fearsome pass-rushers, with 84.5 sacks during his nine-year career. He is a three-time All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowler and won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016.
The 2022 season was Mack's first with the Chargers, and he fared well, logging eight sacks while playing all 17 games. It marked the eighth time in his nine seasons that Mack had posted at least eight sacks; the only time he didn't was in his rookie season in 2014, when he recorded four.
7. Daron Payne, DT, Commanders
- Annual salary: $22.5 million
The Commanders signed Daron Payne to a four-year contract extension after slapping him with the franchise tag to begin the 2023 NFL offseason. The deal will make him the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history behind Aaron Donald.
Payne has been a prolific pass rusher for the Commanders, having logged 26 sacks during his first five seasons. That includes an 11.5-sack campaign in 2022. He also has done well against the run, recording at least 54 tackles each season. He has also missed just one game during his career.
Payne is turning just 26 in May, so he won't turn 30 until this deal has already expired. That should allow him to live up to this new, big-money deal.
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8. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, Dolphins
- Annual salary: $22 million
The Dolphins traded a first-round pick to acquire Chubb before the 2022 NFL trade deadline. He had just 2.5 sacks in eight games with Miami, but he will have a chance to improve upon those numbers with the Dolphins after signing a five-year extension following the trade.
Chubb had 12 sacks as a rookie but has only totaled 16.5 in four seasons since then. He has missed 24 games in that span, so perhaps his sack numbers will increase if he stays healthy.
T-9. Leonard Williams, DT, Giants
- Annual salary: $21 million
Williams' career took off after he was traded from the Jets to the Giants. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2020 with 11.5 sacks and has since been strong overall for the Giants.
Over the last two seasons, Williams has totaled 126 tackles, nine sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 29 games. He was Pro Football Focus' 18th-highest graded interior defender in 2022 among 126 qualified players. The Giants should feel good about his outlook for 2023.
(Getty Images)
T-9. DeForest Buckner, DT, Colts
- Annual salary: $21 million
Buckner has become one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. He generates consistent pressure, posting 53 sacks in 112 career games and at least seven sacks in each season dating to 2018.
The Colts may be heading for a mini-rebuild, but Buckner's presence will give them at least a top-tier player in the middle of their defense. Indianapolis is certainly happy with the results of the 2018 trade that brought Buckner to the team in exchange for a first-round pick.
T-9. Jaire Alexander, CB, Packers
- Annual salary: $21 million
Alexander took the mantle of highest-paid cornerback from Jalen Ramsey, and with good reason. The Louisville product has developed into one of the best cover corners in the NFL.
Alenxader has logged 58 pass defenses in 64 career games, and he totaled a career-best five interceptions during the 2022 season. He has played a full season just once, so that serves as the major knock on him.
Still, Alexander deserves the money that the Packers are paying him. He will enter the 2023 season as the team's top defensive player and should draw All-Pro consideration once again.
NFL's highest-paid defensive players in guaranteed money for 2023
Watt's $80 million in guaranteed money is the most ever given to a non-quarterback in NFL history, though Bosa's $78 million isn't far behind. Only four NFL defensive players are playing on deals that pay them more than $50 million in guarantees, though plenty are seeing at least $40 million in guaranteed money.
| Rank | Player | Team | Total guarantees |
| 1 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | $80 million |
| 2 | Joey Bosa | Chargers | $78 million |
| 3 | Khalil Mack | Chargers | $70 million |
| 4 | Daron Payne | Commanders | $60 million |
| 5 | Aaron Donald | Rams | $46.5 million |
| T-6 | Roquan Smith | Ravens | $45 million |
| T-6 | Von Miller | Bills | $45 million |
| T-6 | Leonard Williams | Giants | $45 million |
| 9 | Denzel Ward | Browns | $44.5 million |
| 10 | Jalen Ramsey | Rams | $43.7 million |
NFL's highest-paid defensive players in total contract value
The Chargers employ the two highest-paid defensive players in terms of total value. Khalil Mack's $141 million deal is the most expensive defensive contract in the NFL while Joey Bosa checks in just $6 million behind. Nine of the 10 defensive stars on this list are in the $100 million club.
| Rank | Player | Team | Total value |
| 1 | Khalil Mack | Chargers | $141 million |
| 2 | Joey Bosa | Chargers | $135million |
| 3 | Myles Garrett | Browns | $125million |
| 4 | Von Miller | Bills | $120 million |
| 5 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | $112million |
| 6 | Bradley Chubb | Dolphins | $110 million |
| 7 | Denzel Ward | Browns | $100.5 million |
| T-8 | Roquan Smith | Ravens | $100 million |
| T-8 | Jalen Ramsey | Rams | $100million |
| 10 | Shaquille Leonard | Colts | $98.5 million |