5 star NFL pass-rushers who could get an extension (or traded?) after Maxx Crosby’s new deal
Wednesday officially opened the salvos for some of the NFL's biggest-name defenders. The Las Vegas Raiders made perennial All-Pro Maxx Crosby the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league with a three-year $106.5 million contract extension. Crosby now has more fully guaranteed money ($91.5 million) than illustrious field-tilters like Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt. Phew.
To be clear, Crosby has more than earned such a payday. He's a baller.
However, it's hard to ignore Crosby's status as the first pass-rushing domino this offseason.
More than most years, it feels like a lot of difference-making players off the defensive edge are kind of standing around in limbo, waiting for more clarity on their respective futures. What Crosby's deal does is give these gentlemen a negotiating benchmark, something to work off of for their own contract extensions or for possible trades (where they will also get paid).
Let's take a look at five superstar NFL pass rushers who will probably be extended or traded during the 2025 offseason and see where their current situations stand.
1. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
Years remaining on contract: One
By virtue of the Cowboys' fifth-year option, Parsons is currently set for one more season in Dallas. (His expectations for them are a little high.) And for a player who has basically been Defensive Player of the Year-caliber for his entire career to this stage, the Cowboys are playing with fire if they let Parsons enter the regular season without a new deal. Either they give him what he's earned — a top-five salary amongst all edge pass rushers — or they trade him for a blockbuster haul in return. There can be no in-between. Now's the time to pay up or shut up for a core player who is still only 25 years old.
2. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
Years remaining on contract: One (two, with a likely fifth-year option)
If not for a broken tibia and fibula suffered early last season, Hutchinson might have won his first career Defensive Player of the Year award. That's how exceptional the former No. 2 overall pick was to start 2024. Fortunately for Hutchinson, his injury doesn't seem like it'll have any lasting setbacks. It projects as more of a short gap in what is already shaping up to be an exceptional career. The Lions do not have to extend Hutchinson now. That's what the fifth-year option in their back pocket is for. But getting him a new monster deal now before he humiliates offensive linemen every week in 2025 would be the proactive and smart thing to do.
3. Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Years remaining on contract: Two
Garrett is the first name on this list where it feels more likely for him to leave his incumbent team rather than sign any new contract. Why? The Browns are on a fast track to nowhere. And Garrett, who is already 29, is toiling away in his prime on an irrelevant non-contender. Cleveland has said it has no intention of dealing Garrett, but we'll see whether its stance changes if Garrett really turns up the heat later this offseason. This is the kind of case where I'm not sure more money and term would quell a possible Hall of Famer's concerns.
4. Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
Years remaining on contract: One
It's unclear where Hendrickson and the Bengals stand. They didn't extend the veteran last offseason. Then, he went on to lead the NFL in sacks. Now, they used their only franchise tag on Tee Higgins while hanging Hendrickson out to try. Do the Bengals want to keep Joe Burrow, Higgins, and Ja'Marr Chase together, a.k.a. their big three on offense? Or are they going to prioritize Hendrickson, one of their genuine few core pieces on defense? It is worth noting that the 30-year-old would likely fetch a decent haul in any potential trade.
5. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Years remaining on contract: One
Great pass-rushers tend to age like fine wine. Where their athleticism starts to diminish, they compensate for their lack of natural ability with experience and savvy that most opposing players simply don't possess. While older, Watt is not at that point in his career where we should start to expect a decline. He's had double-digit sacks and at least 27 quarterback hits in four of the last five seasons while capturing Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021. With that said, Watt has had some injury scares in recent years, and he will be 31 in early October. The older an NFL player with a lot of mileage gets, the more these scares tend to become disasters.
I have a hard time believing Watt or the Steelers ever part ways. He is synonymous with the franchise and one of the all-time greats for a marquee organization. Still, that health factor is something Pittsburgh should consider before handing Watt another blank check.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Maxx Crosby Raiders extension: 5 NFL pass-rushers who also deserve extensions
