The list of highest-paid edge rushers has evolved continuously over the previous few NFL offseasons. With the top of the market exploding past $40 million per year, which players make up the top 10 highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL in 2025?
Who Is the Highest-Paid Edge Rusher in the NFL?
In a shocking twist, Myles Garrett went from requesting a trade from the Cleveland Browns to signing a historic contract extension with the franchise.
Garrett ultimately decided to withdraw his trade demand when the Browns offered him a four-year extension worth $204.7 million, including $122.7 million in total guarantees. The deal’s average annual value (AAV) is $40 million, which is significantly higher than any other edge rusher.
The extension makes Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history and also features a no-trade clause. While it seemed Garrett had played his final game in Cleveland, it turns out money can solve everything.
Highest-Paid Edge Rushers 2-10
2) Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders | AAV: $35.5 million
Maxx Crosby has become a star and is being paid as such with a $35.5 million salary in terms of AAV. When he inked the deal, he became the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL at the time before Garrett signed his deal shortly after.
The Raiders gave Crosby a three-year, $106.5 million extension in March 2025 that included $62.5 million in guaranteed after he previously signed a $20+ million AAV extension in 2022.
Rumors were swirling about teams looking into acquiring the former fourth-round pick (as was the case with Garrett), but the Eastern Michigan product got the co-sign from his front office that he is set to stick around for the long haul.
3) Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers | AAV: $34 million
He had to hold out for all of summer 2023 to achieve his goal, but Nick Bosa became the NFL’s highest-paid edge rusher after signing a five-year, $170 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers, a record before Crosby’s deal.
Bosa’s $34 million AAV paced the market, making him the top-paid NFL defensive player and the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback at the time.
Bosa received a $50 million signing bonus, $10 million more than Aaron Donald’s previous defensive record on his first extension with the Los Angeles Rams. He also set a new high-water mark for defenders with $122.5 million in total guarantees.
4) Joshua Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars | AAV: $30 million
The Jacksonville Jaguars initially placed the franchise tag on Joshua Hines-Allen in 2024 before inking him to a five-year, $150 million contract in April 2024. Jacksonville had until mid-July to work out an extension with Hines-Allen but worked out a long-term deal roughly a month after tagging the former first-round pick.
Hines-Allen, 26, picked an excellent time to break out. His 17.5 sacks in 2023 were a career-high, while his 90 pressures ranked fifth among all edge defenders and first among FA defensive ends.
5) Brian Burns, New York Giants | AAV: $28.2 million
Selected nine picks after Hines-Allen in the 2019 NFL Draft, Brian Burns was consistently the subject of trade rumors until finally being traded from the Carolina Panthers to the New York Giants in March. New York wiped out Burns’ franchise tag, replacing it with a five-year, $141 million pact that made him the league’s third-highest-paid edge defender.
Burns has been consistent since entering the league, posting at least 7.5 sacks and 15 QB hits in each season. He logged 8.5 sacks in his Big Blue debut season and could be a focal point of New York’s defense for a long time.
6) T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers | AAV: $28 million
After signing a four-year, $112 million extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, T.J. Watt remains among the NFL’s highest-paid edge rushers. Watt received just over $35 million as a signing bonus and $80 million in guarantees.
Pittsburgh doesn’t typically guarantee much base salary, but they made an exception for Watt, whose salary was fully guaranteed from 2021 to 2023. He’ll have a cap charge north of $30 million in 2024 and — barring an extension — will reach free agency in 2026, though it seems more likely that a deal will be made before that happens.
Unlike many others on this list, Watt signed a four-year deal instead of a five- or even six-year pact. He’ll be 31 when he hits the open market again, potentially giving him another bite at the contractual apple.
T-7) Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears | AAV: $24.5 million
The Chicago Bears didn’t waste any time extending Montez Sweat after acquiring the pass rusher from the Washington Commanders at the 2023 trade deadline. Four days after bringing him to Chicago, the Bears locked in Sweat on a four-year, $98 million deal that included $41.965 million fully guaranteed at signing.
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Sweat’s deal is exceptionally balanced, with identical cap charges of $25.085 million in each year. Chicago could always restructure his base salaries to create cap space, but Sweat’s extension didn’t put the Bears in a poor financial position by any means.
T-7) Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans | AAV: $24.5 million
Danielle Hunter, who signed a two-year, $49 million free agent deal with the Houston Texans in 2024, is the only third-contract player on this list. The long-time Minnesota Vikings star will have a cap charge of $23.7 million in 2025, while the rest of Hunter’s money is tied up in void years.
Curiously, the Texans only guaranteed $48 million of Hunter’s $49 million contract value. General manager Nick Caserio is likely maintaining a precedent; technically, Houston has never fully guaranteed a veteran pact.
With one year left on his deal, an extension may get done with Hunter, who passed the other side of 30, though it won’t likely be for cheap after a 12-sack season. With a Will Anderson Jr. deal waiting in the wings, it’s a situation to keep an eye on.
9) Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers | AAV: $24 million
The Green Bay Packers worked in Rashan Gary slowly in 2023 while he recovered from a torn ACL. While he didn’t surpass a 50% snap rate until Week 6, Gary looked like his old self by the end of the season, finishing with nine sacks and 22 QB hits. In 2024, he added another 7.5 sacks with 26 pressures and his first Pro Bowl nod.
By the end of October 2023, Green Bay had seen enough, signing Gary to a four-year contract worth $96 million. Gary has an $8.7 million roster bonus due on the third day of the 2025 league year and carries cap hits of $25+ million throughout his deal, escalating with each passing season.
10) Bradley Chubb, Miami Dolphins | AAV: $22 million
The Miami Dolphins sent a first-round pick to the Denver Broncos to acquire Bradley Chubb at the 2022 trade deadline before signing him to a five-year, $110 million extension two days later. Chubb’s pact includes more than $33 million guaranteed at signing, comprised of his signing bonus and base salaries in 2022 and 2023.
Miami restructured Chubb’s contract in March 2024, freeing up $11 million of cap space by converting a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus. The Dolphins could release Chubb if they feel cap-constrained, but they’d likely need to designate him as a post-June 1 cut. However, coming off a torn ACL, he still totaled 11 sacks, 73 tackles, 33 pressures, and an NFL-high six forced fumbles, so that may be a conversation of the past.