Fansided

30 highest-paid NFL players on their current contracts

By Rucker Haringey

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 03: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs yells out against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 3, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 03: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs yells out against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 3, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 30
Next
DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 20: DeForest Buckner #99 of the Indianapolis Colts on the field in the game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

26 (tie). DeForest Buckner

The Colts front office has been pretty stingy in terms of handing out big deals or making big trades during Chris Ballard’s tenure. The move to trade for Buckner and give him a big deal is one notable exception.

Buckner isn’t a classic edge rusher. Instead, he’s a guy who can produce pressure and sacks from his defensive tackle position. His elite ability to collapse pockets from the inside is why Indianapolis felt comfortable spending big to acquire his services.

His $21 million salary is a hefty chunk of change, but the Colts have plenty of salary cap space left. That made the decision to hand him such a lucrative deal so easy for the decision-makers in Indianapolis.

Interior defensive lineman who are capable of posting double-digit sack totals are extremely hard to find. Buckner’s already proven his ability to do that on an annual basis. That’s why his spot on this list is entirely justified.

Home/NFL