The landscape of the highest-paid inside linebackers in the NFL has developed slowly over the past few years. Who is the highest-paid LB in the NFL, and which other inside linebackers round out the top 10 at the position?
The Highest-Paid Linebackers in the NFL | 2-10
Which inside linebackers sit in the top 10 when it comes to average annual value (AAV)? The 2022 NFL offseason saw a shakeup of the linebacker position, and 2023 has already seen a new player claim the crown of the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL.
10) Zach Cunningham, Tennessee Titans | AAV: $11 million
It was a bumpy 2021 season for last year’s fifth-highest-paid linebacker. Zach Cunningham was benched twice by the Texans before being waived. He was then claimed by the Titans, carrying a $10.5 million cap number for the 2022 season.
He is set to count for $13.338 million against the cap in 2023. However, the Titans could save $8.838 million of that if they were to cut him.
T-8) Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | AAV: $12.5 million
The 2022 season was the final one of Lavonte David’s two-year contract, which was worth $25 million in total. His cap number sat at $14.785 million for the 2022 NFL season. The contract contained $17.5 million guaranteed at signing, including $11.425 million that is reportedly being treated as a signing bonus from a cap perspective.
T-8) Jerome Baker, Miami Dolphins | AAV: $12.5 million
Jerome Baker signed a three-year contract extension worth $37.5 million. The structure of his deal is intriguing. He originally received a $5.5 million bonus, with a further $7 million bonus being paid in the 2022 offseason. Accordingly, he carries $3.125 million in prorated money in each of the next three years and a cap number of $12.516 million in 2023.
7) Shaq Thompson, Carolina Panthers | AAV: $13.6 million
Shaq Thompson is entering the final year of his four-year, $54.433 million deal with the Panthers. The contract contained a $16 million signing bonus and $27.525 million in total guarantees. Those guarantees ended in 2020, meaning Thompson has essentially been going year-to-year.
Thompson’s contract carries a $24.463 million cap number in 2023. If the Panthers were to release him, they could clear $13.187 million in cap space. However, Thompson would leave behind $11.276 million in dead money.
6) Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons | AAV: $14.25 million
Deion Jones still remains on this list despite no longer being on the team he signed the deal with. Jones’ contract with the Atlanta Falcons was worth $57 million across four years. He was traded from the Falcons to the Cleveland Browns in October 2022. His deal with the Browns was worth $1.765 million following the trade.
5) Foyesade Oluokun, Jacksonville Jaguars | AAV: $15 million
If you were going to pick a linebacker to join this list of highest-paid linebackers, Foyesade Oluokun likely would not have been the top candidate. However, the former sixth-round selection out of Yale cashed in with the Jaguars. His three-year deal is worth a total of $45 million, including $28 million in guarantees and a $12.5 million signing bonus.
4) C.J. Mosley, New York Jets | AAV: $17 million
C.J. Mosley is set to enter the fourth year of his five-year $85 million contract. He is due to count $21.476 million against the salary cap in each of the next two years as it stands heading into the offseason. The Jets could move on from Mosley this offseason, but they would be left with $14.9 million in dead money as a pre-June 1 release.
3) Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers | AAV: $19 million
Fred Warner was briefly at the top when it came to the highest-paid linebackers in the NFL. In 2021, he signed a five-year contract worth just over $95 million. The deal included a $12.32 million signing bonus that was part of $27.5 million in full guarantees at signing. The 2023 season will see Warner’s cap number jump. It sat at $8.1 million in 2022, rising to $18.525 million in this upcoming season.
The contract is somewhat complex. The 49ers have the option to buy out the final two years of the contract for $3.6 million. If that were to be the case, Warner could be a free agent in the 2025 offseason. If the 49ers choose not to buy out the contract, he would be a free agent in 2027.
2) Shaquille Leonard, Indianapolis Colts | AAV: $19.7 million
Shaquille Leonard’s five-year contract extension fell just short of the $100 million mark over five years, but it did place him atop the list of highest-paid linebackers. His deal contained a $20 million signing bonus, $33 million in full guarantees, and $52.5 million in total guarantees during the life of the deal.
Leonard will count $20.210 million against the Colts’ cap in 2023. That figure will stay static in 2024 and 2025. The first real out in the contract comes after the 2023 campaign. However, if Leonard gets injured in 2023, $6.5 million of his 2024 salary is guaranteed for injury.
Who is the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL?
Which player knocked Leonard off the top of the list of highest-paid LBs in the NFL?
1) Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens | AAV: $20 million
Roquan Smith becomes the first off-the-ball linebacker to hit the $20 million mark with his deal-in-principle with the Baltimore Ravens. The total value of the contract is $100 million over five years. Of that, $45 million is fully guaranteed, and there is $60 million in total guarantees.
