Aaron Donald has set the standard for pass-rushing defensive tackles, putting together a career that’s going to land him in the Hall of Fame when he’s first eligible. He also set the financial standard for players at his position when he signed a historic contract back in 2018.
At the time, he inked a six-year deal worth $135 million with $87 million of that guaranteed. It made him the highest-paid defender in NFL history, but he was quickly overtaken by Khalil Mack and eventually others.
Donald is currently on a new contract that he signed last year, paying him $31.67 million per year for three seasons, which keeps him as the highest-paid defender in the league. His fellow defensive tackles are cashing in with big deals themselves, too, including Quinnen Williams ($24 million per year), Jeffery Simmons ($23.5 million per year), Daron Payne ($22.5 million per year) and Dexter Lawrence ($21.875 million per year).
Donald’s rich contracts certainly helped set the bar higher for those guys, but he doesn’t want any of the credit.
“Nah, they put the work in. They earned that,” Donald said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Them guys are out there getting paid. There’s guys that are about to be getting paid. They put the body of work in to accomplish that. Obviously, it’s a business so you do certain things the right way, you’re supposed to be rewarded. Good for them, but I ain’t have nothing to do with that.”
He wouldn’t mind if they sent him a little something, though.
“But if they want to send me some of that money, they can send some of it this way. I won’t be mad at that,” he said with a big laugh.
No one besides Donald has hit $30 million per year on the defensive side of the ball yet, but eventually, someone will overtake him as the top-paid defender in the league – likely when he retires.
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