Top 10 Highest Paid NFL Linebackers in 2024/2025
Not all linebackers are treated the same when it comes to contract negotiations. The linebackers who pile up the sacks will be the ones with the highest salaries.
A player who can disrupt the passing game is worth the big bucks, which is why linebackers are listed among the highest-paid NFL positions. However, inside linebackers aren’t going to make as much money even if they play key roles in their team’s success.
Let’s examine the salaries of NFL linebackers and check out who leads the way among the highest-paid NFL linebackers.
Breaking Down NFL Linebackers’ Salaries
There are no linebackers among the top five defensive players in the NFL. The first linebacker to make the list is Joshua Hines-Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars, followed by Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers. Burns could be considered either a linebacker or a defensive end. That is where things get a little tricky, as a pass-rushing linebacker could be considered a defensive end, an edge rusher, or a linebacker.
Hines-Allen is sitting atop the list of the highest-paid outside linebackers in the NFL.
Most of the top players on the list are outside linebackers. It is a different deal when looking at the highest-paid inside linebackers in the NFL.
Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens leads the charge at $20 million, followed by Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers and Tremaine Edmunds of the Chicago Bears. They could help their teams become popular picks for those who bet on NFL games.
There could be some new blood coming. Penn State star, Abdul Carter, is one of the players in contention to be the first pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Georgia’s Jalon Walker and Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell could also go in the first round.
It could be a while before Carter makes the list as one of the highest-paid NFL linebackers, as the linebackers earning the most money have been in the league for at least a few years.
Hines-Allen, Burns Getting Paid
Joshua Hines-Allen jumped to the top of the list of the highest-paid NFL linebackers when he signed a five-year extension worth $141.25 million in 2024. His opt-out clause could kick in after the 2026 season. If the Jaguars keep him, his annual cap hit will jump to more than $40 million per season.
Brian Burns of the New York Giants and T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers joined Hines-Allen as the only linebacker to earn more than $28 million per season.
Watt leads the way with a cap hit of $30.4 million and $80 million guaranteed at signing. Hines-Allen and Burns are first and second in just about every category.
Buffalo re-signed Terrel Bernard to a four-year, $50 million contract. The Denver Broncos signed former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw to a three-year contract for $35 million. Robert Spillane had similar terms when he signed with the New England Patriots. The New York Jets extended Jamien Sherwood for $15 million over three seasons. Zach Baun of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles topped that with $17 million on his three-year extension.
Highest Paid NFL Linebackers FAQs
Who is the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL?
Joshua Hines-Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars has the highest contract value of $141.25 million among NFL linebackers.
Which linebackers signed the biggest contracts this season?
T.J. Watt tops all linebackers with a cap hit of just under $30.5 million, and his contract takes up 15.3% of Pittsburgh’s salary cap. That is the highest percentage for a linebacker.
How much do the top-paid linebackers earn in 2024?
An annual salary of $20 million puts a player among the top 10 linebackers.
What factors influence linebacker salaries in the NFL?
NFL teams look for the ability to rush the passer as a key attribute when signing linebackers to lucrative extensions.
Have linebacker salaries increased compared to previous seasons?
With the increased emphasis on the passing game, more money has been coming the way of the top pass rushers, which has impacted the salaries of linebackers.
