Brothers in harm.
Nick and Joey Bosa have made a living off of torturing quarterbacks’ souls. They slip through the trenches like blurs, each determined to wreak havoc on the opposition hurlers. More often than not, they leave a trail of chaos in their path; disheveled grass, debris and (sometimes) a lonely football twirling in the wind.
The Bosa’s, alongside with their longtime contemporaries the Watt’s, are sacks’ first family. That designation brings with it a lot of expectation. It also brings a whole lot of dough.
Nick Bosa inked the largest deal for a defensive player in NFL history on Wednesday. It bears wondering: just how does his contract compare to that of older brother, Joey, who signed his name on the dotted line for the Chargers back in 2020.
MORE: Nick Bosa contract details
Here’s what you need to know about the two defensive supernova’s major-league deals — namely, how they compare to one another.
Nick Bosa contract details
- Total value: $170 million
- AAV: $34 million
- Guaranteed money: $122.5 million
Bosa reportedly agreed terms with the 49ers, locking him up just before the regular season starts. He’ll net a cool $170 million over the course of his contract. That’s an average annual value (AAV) of $34 million per year, the largest AAV for a defensive player in history. He surpasses Aaron Donald, who previously held the record with an AAV of $31.7 million per year. They are the only two defenders to have an AAV exceeding $30 million.
The All-Pro edge rusher has long been seeking these sorts of figures. Bosa had been holding out in an attempt to coax the Niners into tossing him his much-deserved bag. And after months of negotiations, he finally looks to have gotten through — Bosa’s deal eclipses that of Khalil Mack, the previous record-holder for biggest nominal value ever handed to a defensive player, by a whopping $29 million.
His production is more than befitting for a player of that distinction; he has 43 sacks in 51 career games and is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year for his 18-sack efforts in 2022.
Joey Bosa contract details
- Total value: $135 million
- AAV: $27 million
- Guaranteed money: $102 million
Much like younger brother Nick, Joey Bosa has shown a penchant for leaving quarterbacks strewn on the field like dirty laundry. He just doesn’t quite receive as much dough as his younger brother does for doing such a task, though.
Joey’s deal, inked in 2020, brings him an average of $27 million per year. That makes him one of the highest-paid defensive players in league history, slotting in at No. 4 behind Nick, Aaron Donald and T.J. Watt.
NFL contracts have, unsurprisingly, gotten larger over the years. As such, it was little surprise that Nick — who is younger and agreeing his deal at a time in which the NFL’s franchises are seeing their valuations rise dramatically — earned more bread than his own flesh and blood.
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NFL’s highest-paid defensive players
Nick Bosa’s bag is different, even among the growing cadre of cash-flushed defenders. He’s making more than any other defensive player in NFL history. And frankly, it isn’t even that close — Nick Bosa is the first defensive player to net a contract that pays more than $100 million in guaranteed fees, as well as a contract exceeding $150 million of total value.
Below is a look at how Bosa’s contract compares to those of other top defenders.
Average annual value
| Rank | Player | Team | Total value |
| 1 | Nick Bosa | 49ers | $34 million |
| 2 | Aaron Donald | Rams | $31.7 million |
| 3 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | $28 million |
| 4 | Joey Bosa | Chargers | $27 million |
| 5 | Myles Garrett | Browns | $25 million |
| 6 | Quinnen Williams | Jets | $24 million |
| 7 | Maxx Crosby | Raiders | $23.5 million |
| Khalil Mack | Chargers | $23.5 million | |
| Jeffery Simmons | Titans | $23.5 million | |
| 10 | Daron Payne | Commanders | $22.5 million |
| Dexter Lawrence | Giants | $22.5 million |
Total guarantees
| Rank | Player | Team | Total guarantees |
| 1 | Nick Bosa | 49ers | $122.5 million |
| 2 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | $80 million |
| 3 | Joey Bosa | Chargers | $78 million |
| 4 | Khalil Mack | Chargers | $70 million |
| 5 | Quinnen Williams | Jets | $66 million |
| Jeffery Simmons | Titans | $66 million | |
| 7 | Dexter Lawrence | Giants | $60 million |
| 8 | Daron Payne | Commanders | $55 million |
| 9 | Aaron Donald | Rams | $46.5 million |
| 10 | Roquan Smith | Ravens | $45 million |
| Von Miller | Bills | $45 million | |
| Leonard Williams | Giants | $45 million |
Total contract value
| Rank | Player | Team | Total value |
| 1 | Nick Bosa | 49ers | $170 million |
| 2 | Khalil Mack | Chargers | $141 million |
| 3 | Joey Bosa | Chargers | $135 million |
| 4 | Myles Garrett | Browns | $125 million |
| 5 | Von Miller | Bills | $120 million |
| 6 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | $112 million |
| 7 | Bradley Chubb | Dolphins | $110 million |
| 8 | Denzel Ward | Browns | $100.5 million |
| 9 | Roquan Smith | Ravens | $100 million |
| 10 | Shaquille Leonard | Colts | $98.5 million |