Ndamukong Suh has had a wildly successful NFL career. Since coming into the league as the No. 2 overall pick in 2010, he’s been a force on the defensive line wherever he’s gone. His play in Detroit landed him a monstrous six-year, $114 million deal with the Dolphins that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league four years ago.
After spending three years in Miami, he was cut by the team and signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Rams. For the second time in as many years, Suh will be a free agent with the chance to cash in again.
Recently, he talked about prioritizing other things besides money at this point in his career, and it’s easy to see why. In his nine-year career thus far, Suh has made more money than any other active defensive player. The next-closest is Gerald McCoy at $110.1 million.
As impressive as that is, it’s worth noting that Suh isn’t far off from the all-time defensive leader in career earnings, Julius Peppers. He’s the only defender above Suh on the list, making $165 million in his career before retiring this offseason.
Suh is nearing the end of his time in the NFL, but at the age of 32, he could conceivably play for another three to five years. At around $10 million per year, there’s a chance he’ll pass Peppers on the list and become the top earner of any defensive player in NFL history.
