The Average Salaries for NFL Defensive Ends
Traditionally, defensive ends are the players on each end of a football team's defense at the line of scrimmage. The ever-changing positions and plays in the NFL alter this somewhat, though the ends are usually on the outside of the defensive formation. Just like all other NFL players, defensive ends are paid according to a contract, and each player gets a paycheck every other week during the regular season.
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Average Salary
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Behind quarterbacks, defensive ends have the highest average salaries in the NFL at $1,583,784 per year, according to Sports Illustrated. The salary is just the base value of a player's contract and a player may earn additional money if bonuses are written into the contract. Players may also earn extra income through speaking engagements and endorsements; money earned from these activities does not count toward a player's NFL salary.
Highest Salaries
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In 2009, Julius Peppers, then with the Carolina Panthers, was the highest paid defensive end in the league, earning $16.8 million. He left the team after the season and reportedly signed a six-year contract for $42 million in salary guarantees with the Chicago Bears. According to Sports Illustrated, four of the NFL's eight highest paid defensive players are defensive ends.
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Lowest Salaries
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A handful of defensive ends made the league low base salary of $310,000 in 2009. Of those, about half also earned bonuses to increase their league pay. A few of those players, such as Rudolph Hardie (Indianapolis Colts), Derek Walker (Seattle Seahawks) and Alex Field (Arizona Cardinals), did not earn bonuses and only claimed $310,000 in 2009.
Defensive End-friendly Teams
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All 32 teams in the NFL have fairly equal distribution of defensive ends. The Baltimore Ravens had two defensive ends in top 20 overall salary in 2009, according to USA Today. The New Orleans Saints and New York Giants also each had multiple players in the top 30.
Franchise Defensive Ends
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There are a handful of franchise-tagged defensive ends in the NFL in 2010. The franchise value is $12.39 million, according to ESPN, and is based on the salaries of the top five players in the position. A noted franchise defensive end is Oakland Raiders' Richard Seymour.
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