2026 Positional Spending Rankings: Edge Rushers

By
Logan Ulrich
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To help pass the time from now until the start of training camp, we’ll be looking at where every team ranks in positional spending. Next up is the edge rusher position. The only position that makes more on an individual basis is quarterback, and offensive line is the only position collectively where teams tend to spend more. There is a premium on players who can get after the quarterback. 

Brian Burns

One note: rather than count dead money toward the positional groups, we will have it ranked separately in a post of its own. For example, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa‘s $55.4 million dead cap hit won’t count toward Miami’s quarterback spending, but it will be included in their league-leading $179 million dead cap figure. 

Here’s how the league’s edge rusher rooms shake out from most expensive to least expensive: 

Resources:

1 – Pittsburgh Steelers: $66,984,733

  • Percentage of total cap: 22.24 percent
  • 2025 rank: 2nd
  • Top cap hit: T.J. Watt, $42,000,000 (13.94 percent)
  • Other notable cap hit: Alex Highsmith, $20,102,000 (6.67 percent)
  • PFF grade: 78.2 (5th)
  • Starters: Watt, Highsmith
  • Depth: Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer

2 – New York Giants: $65,138,805

  • Percentage of total cap: 21.63 percent
  • 2025 rank: 7th
  • Top cap hit: Brian Burns, $21,383,333 (7.1 percent)
  • Other notable cap hits: Kayvon Thibodeaux, $14,751,000 (4.9 percent), Abdul Carter, $10,285,268 (3.41 percent)
  • PFF grade: 70.9 (15th)
  • Starters: Burns, Carter
  • Depth: Thibodeaux, Chauncey Golston

3 – Las Vegas Raiders: $60,419,659

  • Percentage of total cap: 20.06 percent
  • 2025 rank: 1st
  • Top cap hit: Maxx Crosby, $35,791,250 (11.88 percent)
  • Other notable cap hit: Malcolm Koonce, $11,010,000 (3.66 percent), Kwity Paye, $9,422,666 (3.13 percent)
  • PFF grade: 69.4 (20th)
  • Starters: Crosby, Paye
  • Depth: Koonce, Keyron Crawford

4 – Washington Commanders: $55,104,375

  • Percentage of total cap: 18.29 percent
  • 2025 rank: 26th
  • Top cap hit: Dorance Armstrong, $12,055,000 (4 percent)
  • Other notable cap hits: K’Lavon Chaisson, $11,470,000 (3.81 percent), Odafe Oweh, $9,200,000 (3.05 percent)
  • PFF grade: 67.2 (26th)
  • Starters: Oweh, Chaisson
  • Depth: Armstrong, Joshua Josephs, Drake Jackson

5 – Chicago Bears: $53,175,079

6 – Seattle Seahawks: $45,446,234

7 – Tennessee Titans: $43,092,472

8 – Jacksonville Jaguars: $38,639,407

  • Percentage of total cap: 12.83 percent
  • 2025 rank: 5th
  • Top cap hit: Josh Hines-Allen, $23,400,000 (7.77 percent)
  • Other notable cap hit: Travon Walker, $9,411,765 (3.12 percent)
  • PFF grade: 77.5 (6th)
  • Starters: Hines-Allen, Walker
  • Depth: Wesley Williams, Danny Striggow, BJ Green

9 – San Francisco 49ers: $37,541,023

10 – Houston Texans: $36,505,532

11 – Los Angeles Chargers: $35,976,868

12 – Arizona Cardinals: $33,780,486

13 – Buffalo Bills: $33,570,742

14 – Baltimore Ravens: $32,894,221

15 – New Orleans Saints: $32,128,508

16 – Green Bay Packers: $31,769,033

17 – New York Jets: $31,677,504

18 – Cincinnati Bengals: $30,639,105

19 – Minnesota Vikings: $30,550,395

20 – Carolina Panthers: $29,721,010

21 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $24,902,526

  • Percentage of total cap: 8.27 percent
  • 2025 rank: 24th
  • Top cap hit: Anthony Nelson, $5,366,000 (1.78 percent)
  • PFF grade: 73.2 (9th)
  • Starters: Rueben Bain Jr., Yaya Diaby
  • Depth: Al-Quadin Muhammad, Nelson, Chris Braswell, David Walker

22 – Atlanta Falcons: $24,083,106

23 – Indianapolis Colts: $23,312,690

  • Percentage of total cap: 7.74 percent
  • 2025 rank: 11th
  • Top cap hit: Arden Key, $6,750,000 (2.24 percent)
  • PFF grade: 61.8 (31st)
  • Starters: Laiatu Latu, Key
  • Depth: Micheal Clemons, Jaylahn Tuimoloau, George Gumbs

24 – New England Patriots: $23,200,523

25 – Los Angeles Rams: $20,599,939

26 – Detroit Lions: $20,237,359

  • Percentage of total cap: 6.72 percent
  • 2025 rank: 25th
  • Top cap hit: Aidan Hutchinson, $10,146,400 (3.37 percent)
  • PFF grade: 74.1 (7th)
  • Starters: Hutchinson, D.J. Wonnum
  • Depth: Derrick Moore, Payton Turner

27 – Denver Broncos: $19,879,200

28 – Dallas Cowboys: $19,773,659

29 – Kansas City Chiefs: $17,694,352

30 – Philadelphia Eagles: $17,606,006

31 – Cleveland Browns: $15,909,658

  • Percentage of total cap: 5.28 percent
  • 2025 rank: 13th
  • Top cap hit: Alex Wright, $3,970,995 (1.32 percent)
  • Other notable cap hit: Jared Verse, $2,170,850 (0.72 percent)
  • PFF grade: 79.7 (4th)
  • Starters: Verse, Wright
  • Depth: Isaiah McGuire, Julian Okwara

32 – Miami Dolphins: $13,875,073

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