The outside linebacker gets all of the attention because they can wreak havoc with quarterbacks with sacks.
Jacksonville Jaguars star Josh Allen paves the way as the highest-paid NFL linebacker making $28.25 million annually. After being traded to the Giants at the start of free agency, Brian Burns secured the second position by inking a five-year, $141 million contract. This deal puts him on pace to earn over $28.2 million annually.
Following Burns is Steelers star T.J. Watt (above) who since 2019, has led the league in sacks with 76.5. He signed a four-year, $112.011 million extension with the franchise in 2021 and made more than $28 million annually.
While outside linebackers dominate a majority of the 25 highest-paid linebackers, there are some who believe inside linebackers deserve to be paid more. Last year, former Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick declared that the inside linebacker position needs to get the respect and pay they deserve.
“Inside linebacker is like the quarterback of the defense, so to see them finally getting paid in a respective way lets me know that the game is progressing into the right direction,” Reddick said on Front Office Sports Today last September. The Ravens’ Roquan Smith is the league’s highest-paid inside linebacker but ranks No. 9, making $20 million.
Sharing the fourth position in linebacker compensation is the Bears’ Montez Sweat and Texans’ Danielle Hunter at $24.5 million a piece. Sweat signed a four-year, $98 million extension with the franchise in 2023. Hunter recently signed signed a two-year extension with worth $49 million to move from the Vikings to the Texans.
Top 25 Paid Linebackers
Here is the full list of the top 25 highest-paid NFL linebackers by average annual value. The list was compiled using data from Spotrac.
- Updated: April 24, 2024
- Will be updated again: May 1, 2024
| Rank | Player | Team | Compensation |
| 1 | Josh Allen | Jacksonville Jaguars | $28.25 million |
| 2 | Brian Burns | New York Giants | $28.2 million |
| 3 | T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers | $28 million |
| T-4 | Montez Sweat | Chicago Bears | $24.5 million |
| T-4 | Danielle Hunter | Houston Texans | $24.5 million |
| 6 | Rashan Gary | Green Bay Packers | $24 million |
| 7 | Bradley Chubb | Miami Dolphins | $22 million |
| 8 | Joey Bosa | Los Angeles Chargers | $20.18 million |
| T-9 | Von Miller | Buffalo Bills | $20 million |
| T-9 | Roquan Smith | Baltimore Ravens | $20 million |
| 11 | Khalil Mack | Los Angeles Chargers | $19.2 million |
| 12 | Fred Warner | San Francisco 49ers | $19.05 million |
| 13 | Tremaine Edmunds | Chicago Bears | $18 million |
| 14 | Harold Landry | Tennessee Titans | $17.5 million |
| 15 | Bryce Huff | Philadelphia Eagles | $17.03 million |
| 16 | Alex Highsmith | Pittsburgh Steelers | $17 million |
| T-17 | Haason Reddick | New York Jets | $15 million |
| T-17 | Uchenna Nwosu | Seattle Seahawks | $15 million |
| 19 | Matt Milano | Buffalo Bills | $14.17 million |
| 20 | Patrick Queen | Pittsburgh Steelers | $13.67 million |
| 21 | Matt Judon | New England Patriots | $13.63 million |
| 22 | Preston Smith | Green Bay Packers | $13 million |
| 23 | Za’Darius Smith | Cleveland Browns | $11.5 million |
| 24 | Azeez Al-Shaair | Houston Texans | $11.33 million |
| 25 | Zaire Franklin | Indianapolis Colts | $10.42 million |
