Tuli Tuipulotu has been the best player on an LA Chargers defense that includes Derwin James, Khalil Mack, and 2021 first-round pick Odafe Oweh. Taken in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Tuipulotu has emerged as one of the best young edge rushers in the sport with a breakout 2025 campaign.
Tuipulotu had another great showing against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, finishing with a sack and a fumble recovery. The former USC Trojan is up to 13.5 sacks on the year, and heading into Sunday's game, was already eighth in the NFL in total pressures.
At just 23 years old, Tuipulotu genuinely has one of the highest ceilings in the entire league. As a second-round pick, though, the Chargers do not have the luxury of a fifth-year rookie option to extend contract talks. The 2026 season is the last year on Tuipulotu's contract, and if the Chargers were smart, they'd strike an extension before that season even begins.
And after another standout performance from the 23-year-old on Sunday, it's clear what the price tag should be.
Tuli Tuipulotu has proven to the Chargers he's worth well over $100 million
Tuipulotu is a special player and he deserves to be paid like one. Nine figures may seem like a ludicrous price tag but that's simply what a player of his caliber is worth. The Chargers would be silly not to pay Tuipulotu a contract of this magnitude.
In his first season as a full-time starter with Joey Bosa now in Buffalo, Tuipulotu has proven to be a top-eight pass rusher in the sport at only 23 years old. The best pass rusher in the league, Myles Garrett, is 30 years old. Not only is it reasonable to expect at least six more years of elite play out of Tuipulotu, but it's fair to say that he hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential.
Aidan Hutchinson, who leads the league in pressures and was taken No. 2 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Detroit Lions. Tuipulotu's price tag isn't quite that high, but the longer the Chargers wait the closer it will be to reaching that point.
George Karlaftis signed a four-year, $88 million contract when he was in a similar position with the Kansas City Chiefs. The market always goes up, and Tuipulotu has done far more so far than Karlaftis did when he signed his deal. A four-year, $88 million contract would be an insult at this point.
Nik Bonitto signed a four-year, $106 million extension with the Denver Broncos in September after a breakout third season in 2024 that is very similar to Tuipulotu's 2025 season. Tuipulotu will be two years younger than Bonitto was when he signed that deal, so even that might not be a enough.
At this point, a four-year, $110 million contract extension might be the floor for Tuipulotu, and it won't be surprising if the Chargers go higher. A fifth year could even be in the cards given Tuipulotu's age, which would only increase the value of the contract.
A $150 million contract is not out of the realm of possibility for Tuipulotu if the Chargers give him a fifth year. As staggering as that is on paper, Tuipulotu has definitely earned it.