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On Sunday, the long-awaited bombshell came to fruition. The football world was set ablaze when eight-time first-team All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald announced his unretirement after two seasons away, rejoining the Rams as they continue to go all in for a Super Bowl run.
Donald’s return to Los Angeles was the cherry on top of an incredible offseason of attracting defensive talent, including trading for All-Pros Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie while also signing Jaylen Watson. Seeing Donald — now age 35 — play for the first time since 2023 will be a marvel in and of itself, but watching him next to another first-ballot Hall of Famer in Garrett truly feels special.
It’s easy for the Rams to fantasize about Donald and Garrett assembling the best pass-rushing tandem in recent NFL history. But what does the bar look actually like for duos attacking the quarterback in the same year? Using advanced PFF data, here are the 10 best pairs of quarterback-wrecking defensive linemen since charting began in 2006.
EDGE Von Miller and EDGE DeMarcus Ware, Denver Broncos (2015)
Any discussion of the top pass-rushing teammates ever has to start with Miller and Ware. The two were both unstoppable in 2015 to help propel the Broncos’ legendary, title-winning defense.
Indeed, Miller ranked first in pass-rush win rate while leading the league with 105 pressures, while Ware sat third in the metric and notched 66 pressures himself. All told, both Miller and Ware placed in the top five in PFF pass-rush grade for all qualified defensive linemen, and they combined for 171 pressures and 28 sacks. There’s a reason Ware is already enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and Miller will be not long after he eventually retires.
EDGE Will Anderson Jr. and EDGE Danielle Hunter, HoustonTexans (2025)
Anderson and Hunter proved to be simply unfair all season long, vaulting the Texans’ defense to be one of the nastiest in the league. Both stars ranked in the top five for pressures, pass-rush win rate and PFF pass-rush grade among qualified defensive linemen — reflecting their consistent excellence among anyone along the front four in the sport.
Houston’s dynamic duo combined for 194 pressures and 26 sacks, metrics which include two playoff contests. The two both received All-Pro recognition and genuinely dictated multiple games based on their sheer collective ability. Back together in 2026 and potentially beyond, Anderson and Hunter will continue to haunt opposing offensive coordinators.
Dl Chris Jones and EDGE Dee Ford, Kansas City Chiefs (2018)
Jones has lacked a reliable running mate in recent seasons, but he undeniably had one in 2018 with Ford. That year, Jones and Ford both sat in the top four in both PFF pass-rush grade and pressures, combining for 163 altogether.
What dampens the Chiefs’ case is that Jones was third in pass-rush win rate at an 18.1% mark, while Ford placed 17th at a 14.0% clip. Nonetheless, this duo helped Kansas City reach the AFC championship by totaling a robust 32 sacks.
EDGE Jason Babin and EDGE Trent Cole, Philadelphia Eagles (2011)
Babin and Cole don’t quite possess the star power of other venerated names on this list, but each enjoyed a number of productive seasons in Philadelphia. That included teaming up in 2011, when both were effectively at their peaks.
The Eagles edge defenders ranked in the top five in PFF pass-rush grade with no worse than an 89.3 mark, and each was also in the top four in pass-rush win rate — finishing with at least a 14.8% figure. Babin and Cole also tied for 10th with 67 respective pressures and combined for 29 sacks. While Philadelphia went 8-8 that season, it wasn’t due to its highly disruptive tandem getting after the quarterback.
EDGE Dwight Freeney and EDGE Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts (2009)
This pairing wreaked havoc together for numerous seasons in Indianapolis, helping contribute to the Colts’ dominant run during the era. Several years featured excellence from Freeney and Mathis, but 2009 was a particular highlight.
That year, Freeney was sixth in PFF pass-rush grade, while Mathis ranked seventh. Meanwhile, each finished no worse than third in pass-rush win rate, and both compiled at least 66 pressures. Freeney’s and Mathis’ combined 141 pressures and 25 sacks aided the Colts’ run to Super Bowl 44.
EDGE James Harrison and EDGE LaMarr Woodley, PittsburghSteelers (2010)
The Steelers have featured a wealth of pass-rushing talent in the PFF era, making it difficult to decide which season stands above the rest. However, what Harrison and Woodley accomplished in 2010 is hard to replicate.
That season, both of Pittsburgh’s star edge rushers ranked in the top five in PFF pass-rush grade, the top nine in pass-rush win rate and the top 11 in pressures among all qualified defensive linemen. All told, Harrison and Woodley tallied 149 joint pressures and 27 sacks. Their 2008-10 seasons are all worthy of recognition, and while 2010 didn’t end with a Super Bowl victory, it was the most outstanding from a holistic game-wrecking standpoint.
EDGE Haason Reddick and Dl Javon Hargrave, Philadelphia Eagles (2022)
Reddick and Hargrave have both enjoyed fruitful careers, and the zenith for both arrived in Philadelphia in 2022. That season, the teammates concluded the season in the top six in PFF pass-rush grade, and each secured a 15.9-plus % pass-rush win rate. That’s a very difficult number for one player to reach, let alone two on the same front.
Reddick and Hargrave combined for 153 pressures and a gaudy 33 sacks with Philadelphia that season, with their efforts fueling the team’s Super Bowl appearance. Although the Eagles fell to the Chiefs, they’re still remembered for a tremendous campaign, including unforgettable work from Reddick and Hargrave.
EDGE Elvis Dumervil and EDGE Pernell McPhee, Baltimore Ravens (2014)
The 2014 Ravens featured an embarrassment of riches along the defensive side of the ball, with 12 different players reaching a 70.0-plus overall PFF grade. That also applies to the team’s defensive line, where McPhee, Dumervil and Terrell Suggs all starred. Yet from an efficiency and production standpoint, the focus here is primarily on McPhee and Dumervil.
The two each sat in the top 10 in PFF pass-rush grade, netting at least an 80.8 mark. On top of that, Dumervil and McPhee were both included in the top 12 in pass-rush win rate, meriting 64 or more pressures in the process. This duo collectively generated 137 pressures and 31 sacks, powering one of the NFL’s highest-graded teams in 2014 despite a divisional round exit.
EDGE Joey Bosa and EDGE Melvin Ingram, Los Angeles Chargers (2017)
Prior to numerous injuries, Bosa was regularly one of the most dominant edge defenders in the NFL, which only makes it fitting for him and Ingram to make this list. In 2017, each was in the top seven in PFF pass-rush grade and the top eight for pass-rush win rate for any eligible defensive lineman. By pass-rush grade alone, the Chargers featured two of the four best edge rushers in the league that season.
Bosa netted 75 pressures and 13 sacks, while Ingram posted 76 pressures and 11 sacks himself. While their collective work didn’t help Los Angeles reach the playoffs that year, it lives on as one of the premier teammate pass-rushing seasons in recent memory.
EDGE Von Miller and Dl Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams (2021)
Admittedly, it was very tough to narrow this list down to 10 spots. Units like the 2015 Texans with J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus, the 2019 Packers with Kenny Clark and Za’Darius Smith and the 2019 Steelers with T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward were difficult to omit. However, any compilation of the best pass-rushing teammates would be remiss if it left off Miller and Donald in 2021.
The caveat to the 2021 Rams duo is that they only played 12 games together — including the playoffs — after Miller was acquired by the Broncos prior to Week 10. But when the icons were on the field at the same time, it was truly a sight to behold.
From Week 10 until Super Bowl 56, Miller and Donald both ranked in the top four in PFF pass-rush grade among qualified defensive linemen. The pair combined for 122 pressures — no worse than 54 apiece — and 20 sacks in those 12 contests. If Miller played the full 21-game season next to Donald in Los Angeles, those numbers would be extrapolated to roughly 213 pressures and 35 sacks, which is mind-boggling.
Garrett is quickly turning into one of the better edge defenders in league history, but he won’t be the first legendary running mate for Donald in his career. The two veterans now hope their unification will end the same way it did for Donald and Miller five years ago.