The 2021 Georgia Bulldogs defense is arguably the greatest defense in college football history. In the modern era where the air raid offense has taken over, the Junkyard Dawgs allowed just over 10 points per game on the season on the way to their first National Championship since 1980.
If the production in college was not enough to prove it, the NFL has pushed the agenda even farther. Before today, that defense was earning more than $320 million in contracts in the NFL. Now, former defensive tackle Jalen Carter pushed that number to nearly half a billion.
Jalen Carter becomes highest paid DT in NFL history
Carter signed a contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday with a $152 million extension and got $106 million of it guaranteed. Since being drafted ninth overall in 2023, the former Bulldog has quickly solidified himself as one of the top defensive players in the league. Over his short career, Carter already has 13.5 total sacks along with 42 tackles for loss and a defensive touchdown.
For the University of Georgia, you could not have been given a better recruiting angle for defense. Athens now claims the highest paid defensive tackle, nose tackle, and player in NFL history. It was back in March that Eagles and former Bulldog teammate Jordan Davis earned a deal of $78 million, making him the highest paid nose tackle and sixth highest paid DT in NFL history. At the quarterback position, Matthew Stafford reigns supreme with over $408 million in overall career earnings. The next closest to that number is Aaron Rodgers with just over $396 million.
Even if Kirby Smart does not pitch getting paid in college, he should definitely be pitching to recruits getting paid in the NFL. No other college has seen NFL earnings like this in the history of the league. It is a true testament to how the program develops players under Smart, with exception to Stafford who went through Athens in the Mark Richt era.
Davis was just a three-star recruit when signing with Georgia in 2018. If he can do that with 3-star recruits, imagine what he can do with the five-stars? You don't have to. The proof is there with Carter being the highest paid DT ever. Other impressive contracts from former Bulldogs includes $27.3 million for George Pickens, $48 million for James Cook, and a whopping $117.5 million over five years for Andrew Thomas.
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