By Michael Bennett
If he’s not the Redskins most underpaid player, Ryan Kerrigan is in the conversation:
Contract: Five years for $57.5 million (signed 2015)
The fine print: $24 million over the first two years followed by team options in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020
Total guaranteed at signing: $23.8 million (18th among edge defenders)
Average annual value: $11.5 million (tied for 26th among edge defenders)
2019 salary and bonuses: $10.8 million (tied for 26th among edge defenders)
Remember this for your next trivia night. Since 2014, Von Miller has the most sacks in the NFL. Ryan Kerrigan—yes, Kerrigan—is second. We’re conditioned to believe sacks lead to paydays, but while Kerrigan has the second-most sacks in the past five years, he is the 55th-highest-paid defender in football, while six of the top eight are among the league’s highest-paid players.
Sack Leaders Since 2014 vs. Average Annual Salary in 2019
| Player | Games | Sacks | Sacks | Average Salary (Average Annual Salary Ranked Among Defenders) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Von Miller | 80 | 80 | 63 | $19 million (fifth) |
| Ryan Kerrigan | 80 | 80 | 60 | $11.5 million (55th) |
| Aaron Donald | 78 | 74 | 59.5 | $22.5 million (second) |
| Chandler Jones | 73 | 71 | 59.5 | $16.5 million (tied-14th) |
| J.J. Watt | 56 | 56 | 55.5 | $16.7 million (12th) |
| Khalil Mack | 78 | 77 | 53 | $23.5 million (first) |
| Justin Houston | 59 | 59 | 52 | $12 million (51st) |
| Cameron Jordan | 80 | 80 | 50 | $17.5 million (seventh) |
Kerrigan has never had 14 sacks in a season, but he’s also never had fewer than 8.5 since his rookie year, and he hasn’t missed a game in his eight-year career.
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