Tag: bonus

These Commanders could bank some extra cash Sunday vs. Cowboys

This could be a big week financially for some Commanders.

We are at the point of the season where players are playing for personal reasons. Yes, football is the ultimate team sport, but football contracts are often the most complex. While MLB and NBA contracts are all guaranteed, NFL deals have several bonuses tied to team and/or individual performance.

Last week, Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz had a big day. Ertz caught six passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner, but it was also a financial success for the 12-year veteran. Ertz’s performance triggered three bonuses in his contract:

  • His sixth TD catch of the season triggered a $250,000 bonus.
  • Ertz earned another $250,000 by going over 60 catches this season.
  • Ertz earned yet another $250,000 by going over 600 yards receiving.

Yes, Ertz received $750K worth of bonuses for his performance. It’s tough for anyone to get much better than that.

Also, wide receiver Terry McLaurin earned $250K on Thursday when he was named to the Pro Bowl.

As for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Cowboys, these Commanders could earn some extra cash. And yes, Ertz can bring in even more money. Contract details are courtesy of Spotrac.

Zach Ertz

  • If Ertz catches nine passes, he would reach 70 on the season, earning him another $250K.
  • If Ertz finishes with 90 receiving yards, he would have 700 on the season, earning another $250K.
  • If Ertz catches two touchdowns, that would give him eight, earning him yet another $250K.

Dante Fowler Jr.

  • If Fowler has a half-sack against the Cowboys, it would give him 11 for the season, triggering a $1.5 million bonus. Fowler has collected $1.125 million of the bonus.

Jeremy Chinn

  • If Chinn has two sacks, it would give him three on the season, triggering a $250K bonus.
  • If Chinn has two interceptions, it would give him three on the season, triggering a $250K bonus.

Frankie Luvu

  • If Luvu gets two sacks Sunday, it would give 10 for the season, triggering a $975K bonus. He has already collected $650K of the bonus for reaching eight sacks.

We named the incentives that could be reached on Sunday. Most are attainable, especially if you’re Ertz, Luvu, or Fowler.

Commanders TE Zach Ertz earned a lot of money in Sunday’s win

Commanders TE Zach Ertz reached several incentives during Sunday’s win.

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz had his best game of the season in Sunday night’s win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The 12-year veteran caught six passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. His final catch came on the game’s last play, a two-yard touchdown in overtime to clinch a playoff spot for the Commanders.

Ertz has started every game for Washington this season, recording 61 receptions for 610 yards and six touchdowns. In addition to his on-field production, Ertz has proven to be a leader for the Commanders and mentor for several younger players, like quarterback Jayden Daniels.

During Sunday’s win, Ertz made a lot of money. His performance triggered three different bonuses on his contract. Ertz signed a one-year deal worth up to $5 million for the 2024 season.

Here’s the incentives he reached on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN:

  • His sixth TD catch of the season triggered a $250,000 bonus.
  • Ertz earned another $250,000 by going over 60 catches this season.
  • Ertz earned yet another $250,000 by going over 600 yards receiving.

Additionally, Ertz moved past Pro Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome into ninth place all-time for receiving yards by a tight end. Even better, it was his mother’s birthday.

It was a good night for Zach Ertz.

Chase Young earned $450,000 workout bonus after speedy recovery

ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports that Chase Young earned a hefty workout bonus after a quick recovery from neck surgery. He’s off to a good start with the New Orleans Saints:

Shout-out to Chase Young. The New Orleans Saints defensive end earned a hefty workout bonus after his quick recovery from offseason neck surgery, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, totaling $450,000. He needed to participate in at least 84.3% of the offseason program and Terrell says that “obviously he earned it at this point.”

Young may not have been on the field for organized team activities and minicamp practices earlier this spring, but he was in the facility every day working through his rehab, and that counts towards his bonus incentives. Dennis Allen noted his presence a few times and complimented his work ethic in getting right after that neck procedure. That aggressive approach allowed Young to return ahead of schedule and hit the practice field at the first day of Saints training camp.

Now he’s cashing in. Young’s contract is one of the more unique deals you’ll find in the NFL this year. While it’s technically a fully-guaranteed $13 million contract, Young’s deal is made up of a $2.7 million base and a $1.86 million signing bonus, with $7.99 million available through per-game roster bonuses (on top of this workout bonus). If he misses any time after Week 1 the Saints will receive a credit on the 2025 salary cap valued at about $470,000 per game. But it’s looking like he’ll earn every penny.

Good for him. Young has worked very hard to get to this point, and if all goes as well as hoped he could earn a life-changing contract next offseason — either as an extension with New Orleans or as a new deal in free agency. He just needs to keep it up.

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Here’s why ex-Broncos QB Russell Wilson was paid an extra $40,018 for 2023 season

The NFL’s performance-based pay program gave QB Russell Wilson an extra $40,018 for playing 938 snaps in 2023.

Denver Broncos fans might feel that quarterback Russell Wilson was overpaid for his two-year stint with the team, but the NFL begs to differ.

Each offseason, the NFL hands out performance-based pay bonuses that essentially reward players for outperforming their contracts. The highest earners in the program are often every-down starters who are still on a rookie contract.

A brief explanation from the league: “Under the Performance-Based Pay program, a fund is created and used as a supplemental form of player compensation based upon a comparison of playing time to salary. Players become eligible to receive a bonus distribution in any regular season in which they play at least one official down. In general, players with higher playtime percentages and lower salaries benefit most from the pool.”

Denver guard Quinn Meinerz ($747,505) and pass rusher Jonathon Cooper ($738,916) received the largest bonuses among Broncos players in 2023, but they were not alone. A total of 64 players received playing time bonuses, including Wilson.

Wilson received a $40,018 check — this time from the NFL, not Denver’s front office — as part of the performance-based pay program. Wilson started 15 games in 2023 and played 938 snaps.

Jarrett Stidham, who only started two games and played 134 snaps in 2023, received a $41,814 bonus, a reflection of players on lower salaries getting a bigger reward for their playing time.

Five years ago, former Broncos backup quarterback Chad Kelly received a $354 bonus in 2019 after he appeared in one game for a kneel-down.

Wilson received $28 million from Denver last year and he will earn another $37.79 million from the Broncos in 2024 despite no longer being on the team. Playing nearly 1,000 snaps last year earned him an extra $40,000 on his way out of town.

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Landon Dickerson and Eagles agree on four-year contract extension

Former Alabama OL Landon Dickerson becomes highest paid guard in the NFL

NFL free agency is finally here and things are moving at a million miles per hour. Over the past couple of years, the Philadelphia Eagles have found a ton of success in the offseason, and 2024 seems to be no different. Obviously the retirements of Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox are tough ones, but general manager Howie Roseman always has a plan.

The Eagles landed running back Saquon Barkley which was their splashy move, however, re-signing former Alabama guard [autotag]Landon Dickerson[/autotag] to an extension is nearly as important. Dickerson’s extension is good for four-years and will be worth around $84 million, making him the highest-paid guard in league history. $50 million of it will be guaranteed with $20 million coming as a signing bonus.

Dickerson has been a guard ever since he stepped into the league, but with Kelce’s retirement, it will be interesting to see if he moves back over to center. During his time with Alabama and Florida State, Dickerson was almost exclusively a center.

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Foster Moreau has some challenging contract incentives in 2023

Foster Moreau has some challenging contract incentives in 2023. A productive season could earn the Saints tight end another $1 million:

What are the expectations for Foster Moreau going into 2023? Many New Orleans Saints fans didn’t expect to see him so soon after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but Moreau completed treatment in the spring, signed his contract, and has already hit the practice field working to get back in rhythm with the same quarterback he’s always caught passes from: Derek Carr, his former Las Vegas Raiders teammate.

Moreau’s coming of his best season as a pro with 33 receptions for 420 yards and a pair of touchdown catches, having converted a career-high 24 first downs and played 67.6% of their offensive snaps. Here are the milestones he’ll be chasing with the Saints in 2023, earning a $250,000 performance bonus for triggering each incentive, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov:

  • 65% of snaps AND 40 or more receptions
  • 75% of snaps AND 40 or more receptions
  • 50 or more receptions
  • 60 or more receptions

Those aren’t low numbers to chase, but they’re not unrealistic, either. For comparison, Juwan Johnson led the Saints’ tight ends last year with 42 receptions while playing 61.6% of their snaps. They’re going to be a more pass-happy offense with a quarterback Dennis Allen and Pete Carmichael Jr. trust under center, and Carr is known for favoring his tight ends as receivers.

Moreau received a $3.5 million signing bonus from the Saints earlier in May as well as a $1.1 million base salary (meaning his salary cap hit is set at just $1.8 million), so he could potentially earn as much as $5.6 million this season by maxing out those incentives. If he catches 60 or more passes while playing 75% or more of the Saints’ snaps on offense, he and the team will be thrilled to hand him a $1 million bonus.

That’s just easier said than done. Here’s some added context: last season, 12 different NFL tight ends caught 40 or more passes while playing 65% or more of their team’s offensive snaps, and only eight of them met the threshold for playing 75% or more of their team’s snaps on offense. They didn’t meet the snaps threshold, but 16 tight ends had 50 or more receptions, and less than half of them caught 60 or more passes:

  • Travis Kelce (110)
  • T.J. Hockenson (86)
  • Mark Andrews and Evan Engram (73)
  • Tyler Higbee (72)
  • Pat Freiermuth (63)
  • George Kittle (60)

Out of that final group, a select four also met the qualifications for snaps percentage: Kelce, Engram, Higbee, and Kittle. So the Saints are challenging Moreau not just to take another step forward as a receiver, but to continue to help the offense as their primary blocking tight end, too. With Johnson entrenched as a big-play threat and their top pass-catching option at tight end, he’ll have his work cut out for him.

But it’ll be tough to bet against Moreau after seeing him overcome so much adversity to get here in the first place. Having an established connection with Carr certainly helps his case.

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Camryn Bynum among top earners in NFL’s 2022 performance-based pay program

Bynum was among the NFL’s most rewarded players when the numbers for the league’s performance-based pay program came out on Friday

Camryn Bynum has come on strong for the Minnesota Vikings since joining the team as a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft and was rewarded for his exceptional play via the NFL’s performance-based pay program to the tune of nearly $700,000.

After starting in every regular season game for the Vikings in 2022, Bynum established himself as a consistent contributor to Minnesota’s defense, cementing his status as one of the NFL’s best young defensive backs. He hauled in two interceptions in the 2022 campaign and added 81 combined tackles and two fumble recoveries to his exceptional sophomore resume.

While he still has room to grow, Bynum should be considered one of the Vikings’ most promising defenders ahead of the 2023 season and is set to take another big step forward in the near future. Minnesota’s defensive additions in free agency will free up Bynum to make even more game-changing plays from his safety spot in the Vikings’ defensive backfield and should lead to even more impressive production when the regular season commences.

Saints have two deadlines to consider in Michael Thomas extension talks

The Saints have two deadlines to consider in Michael Thomas extension talks. They’d like this deal to be done by Wednesday, but Friday brings heavier consequences:

Will the New Orleans Saints be able to hammer out a contract extension with Michael Thomas? Things are trending that way, but there’s a couple of important deadlines to dial in on as both sides continue to meet at the negotiating table.

Per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, Thomas will be owed a $200,000 roster bonus if he’s on the roster under his current deal at 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 15. That isn’t much more than a drop in the bucket as far as the $223 million salary cap is concerned, but losing that money wouldn’t be the best use of resources.

More concerning is the $31 million roster bonus for 2024 that will become fully guaranteed on Friday. The Saints need to get out in front of that poison pill and reach a resolution with Thomas one way or another — either by tearing up his contract and signing him to a new deal or by releasing him altogether.

Thomas played a part in helping the team recruit Derek Carr, who has been talking about him like a new contract is already signed and delivered. But we’ll have to wait and see if the Saints and the Saints can beat the clock.

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Saints kick off the Dennis Allen era, begin Phase 1 of offseason workouts

The Saints are kicking off the Dennis Allen era, beginning Phase 1 of their offseason workouts alongside three other teams with first-year head coaches:

And we’re off: the New Orleans Saints officially started the Dennis Allen era on Monday, April 4, as one of four teams with first-year head coaches starting their offseason workout program. The Chicago Bears (under Matt Eberflus), Miami Dolphins (under Mike McDaniel), and New York Giants (under Brian Daboll) were each given a two-week head start on the rest of the NFL. Players who choose to participate in the first phase of the offseason will have an opportunity to work out in the team facility and spend time on the practice field with their new training staff, though it’ll be a while before helmets come on and any full-speed drills start being run.

But what do these workouts entail? The NFL Players Association describes Phase 1 as a two-week period of four-hour sessions at the team facility, with two hours of work with strength and conditioning coaches and another two hours of independent training in the weight room. Of those two hours with the strength coach, only ninety minutes can be spent on the field. It’s a strictly-regulated part of the league calendar with player safety in mind. No one is wearing helmets, and all contact drills are prohibited.

For the Saints specifically, this will be their first opportunity to meet the team’s new director of sports science, Matt Rhea, who was hired away from Alabama. Rhea brought New Orleans’  new strength coach Matt Clapp along with him from the Crimson Tide, so this is a good opportunity for players to get to work and familiarize themselves with some new faces and new processes around the facility. Assistant strength and conditioning coaches Charles Byrd and Rob Wenning were each retained, so there is some continuity.

Participation is strictly voluntary at this early stage in the offseason, and the Saints haven’t really taken pains to incentivize it through contractual workout bonuses. Only three players have workout bonuses written into their contracts, per Over The Cap: wide receiver Michael Thomas ($200,000), defensive end Cameron Jordan ($100,000), and kicker Wil Lutz ($50,000).

Thomas has been rehabbing his surgically-repaired ankle in Southern California in recent months, so it’s unclear if he’ll make it out to join the team in New Orleans just yet. It’s worth noting that his $200,000 bonus is the highest on the team and one of the largest figures around the league, though. Lutz was cleared from core muscle surgery earlier this offseason and should be readying to reassert himself as one of the NFL’s best kickers.

Football activities will ramp up in the weeks ahead. Phase 2 allows all position coaches to get on the field for individual drills ahead of a three-day voluntary minicamp starting April 25, and Phase 3 introduces large-scale organized team activities (OTAs) over the summer, some of which will be open to fans. That coincides with the arrival of rookies following the 2022 NFL draft, and should be an exciting time in New Orleans. The first full-team mandatory three-day minicamp starts June 14. Here’s the full offseason workouts calendar:

  • Phase 1: April 4 to April 17
  • Phase 2: April 18 to May 8
  • Voluntary minicamps: April 25 to April 27
  • Phase 3: May 9 to June 6
  • OTA workouts: May 24 to 26, May 31 to June 2, June 7 to 10
  • Mandatory minicamp: June 14 to 16

This all leads up to training camp beginning at the end of July, so keep an eye out for updates on when fans can be allowed to observe practice and when camp begins. Before we know it we’ll be sweating at practice in Metairie and getting ready to watch preseason games. It feels like kickoff at the Caesars Superdome will be here before we know it.

Going under the hood of Marcus Maye’s new contract with the Saints

Going under the hood of Marcus Maye’s new contract with the Saints, via @DillySanders:

Free agency kicked off for the New Orleans Saints with an agreement on a three-year contract with former New York Jets safety Marcus Maye, and it’s as interesting as most other contracts the team has handed out. They had to structure it interestingly to account for their need for extra cap space in 2022. Let’s take a look how the money is spread out: