NFL: Brady and Rodgers with various financial incentives in their sights in Week 18

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an incentive to finish the regular season strong, both collectively and individually for some of their members.

The Buccaneers, who will be visited by the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, can win the NFC’s No. 2 seed. For his part, quarterback Tom Brady is one of multiple NFL players who included bonuses and incentives in their contracts, which means that gains and losses will not be limited to the field of play.

To get some of his incentives, Brady requires the Buccaneers to have a better average rushing yards this year compared to the previous season, which Tampa Bay has already achieved with its 4.35 yards per rush, compared to 4.12 the previous tournament. . For the rest, you only need to achieve certain milestones to collect bonuses, according to data from the Roster Management System, which provided all the information on incentives used to write this article.

Brady’s 40 touchdown passes eclipsed the 25 needed to earn a $ 562,500 bonus; however, that bonus is dependent on the rushing yards added by Tampa Bay.

The veteran quarterback leads the NFL with 4,990 rushing yards, and will earn another incentive for $ 562,500, as long as he remains in the top five in the category (Joe Burrow is fifth with 4,611). Like touchdown passes, this depends on the Buccaneers team achieving those career totals.

Brady’s 66.9% completion rate is the 13th best record in the league, and he would have to make the Top 5 to collect another $ 562,500 bonus. Something that might be out of reach.

His average of 10.9 yards per completed pass is ranked 16th in the category, and he must be in the top five to collect a $ 562,500 bonus. The current owner of the fifth position is averaging 11.9 yards per complete pass; so it also seems to be a difficult bond to realize.

Brady can earn $ 562,500 if he finishes in the top five in the NFL quarterback rankings. It currently occupies the eighth position, with 100.5. Kirk Cousins ​​is fifth at 101.3.

Even if Brady qualifies for all five bonuses for $ 562,500 each, the contract says he can only collect four of them; And as long as Tampa Bay finishes the season averaging over 4.12 yards per rush and isn’t in the NFL’s top five for that statistic, it can collect two of them.

Brady has already earned $ 500,000 playing 75% of Tampa Bay’s aces in the regular season and making the playoffs. If the Buccaneers win the wild card round, that sum will be $ 750,000. It could increase to $ 1.25 million if the Buccaneers win the divisional round, $ 1.75 if they win the NFC championship and up to a total of $ 2.25 million if they repeat as Super Bowl champions.

One of Brady’s biggest competitors in the NFC and for the Most Valuable Player award is Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who could also make some additional amounts of money, and he would make it despite not playing the game. last regular season game against the Detroit Lions.

Rodgers will earn an additional $ 100,000 in each of these categories if he is ranked in the top three in the NFL and if the Packers meet another requirement: They must collectively improve their scoring figures from returns and recoveries. It is not clear if those conditions are cumulative (the Packers add two returns this year and the previous tournament), or if they only need to improve in an individual category. If it’s a single stat, Green Bay has exceeded the requirement, with two returns for interceptions in the current tournament against just one last year. If the Packers collectively meet that requirement, Rodgers will earn $ 100,000 from finishing in the top three in each of the following categories:

• Classification of passers: Current leader with 111.1.

• Percentage of passes completed: Ranks fourth with 68.6.

• Interception percentage: First with .8.

• Yards per pass: Fifth with 7.8.

• Touchdown passes: Tied for third with 35.

Both quarterbacks aren’t the only big-name players with money at stake. Several players who are active in practically all the teams in the NFL have the possibility of collecting different bonuses. Here we summarize some of the most lucrative or interesting.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver AJ Green started the season with the possibility of earning $ 2.5 million in incentives, and with 50 catches for 825 yards and three touchdowns, along with the Cardinals’ qualification to the playoffs and Green playing at least 50% of serves, has effectively added $ 1.25 million in incentives.

He could even make more money this Sunday and during the playoffs. He would collect an additional $ 250,000 to reach 900 yards in their meeting this Sunday and another $ 250,000 to reach 60 catches. Additionally, if Arizona is victorious in the NFC Championship game and plays at least 50% of the serves in that match, it will collect another $ 250,000.

Cardinals linebacker Jordan Hicks will earn $ 2 million thanks to his team’s qualification to the playoffs, after having exceeded 65% and 80% playing time lows. He will reach his commitment this Sunday after having played 96.8% of Arizona’s defensive aces. His teammate and fellow linebacker Markus Golden secured $ 1 million for his 11 sacks ($ 250,000 for six sacks, $ 250,000 for eight sacks and $ 500,000 for reaching 10 sacks). He’ll collect an additional $ 1 million if he gets two sacks in the last game of the regular season.

Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. is in the middle of catching $ 1 million (with 4.5 sacks under his belt, he needs to add another 7 to take effect) and if he has a great performance against the New Orleans Saints and reaches seven sacks, would collect $ 2 million.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Justin Houston could earn $ 2 million if he has 1.5 sacks and the Ravens improve their production of interceptions, sacks or net yards allowed per career play, compared to their numbers last year.

Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell could have $ 1 million at stake this Sunday. The player, who currently accounts for 55.2% of Baltimore’s aces, could win an additional $ 1.5 million if he ends the season playing above 50% (which should happen), or if he concludes the campaign playing at least 55% of the Serves by the Ravens, that amount would go up to $ 2 million.

Carolina Panthers linebacker Haason Reddick has 11 sacks this season. If you add two more, you will win $ 1 million. If it happened, it could help offset the blow of not winning the Pro Bowl vote, and the $ 1 million that would have gotten by his election.

If Green Bay Packers linebacker Preston Smith makes the final game of the season, he could win a substantial amount of money, even though his team has nothing at stake. He has already secured $ 1.25 million thanks to his nine sacks. If it reaches 10, this figure will rise to $ 2 million. If it reaches 12 captures, it would reach $ 3.2 million. Although it is probably unattainable, in the event of reaching 14 with five sacks, your incentive would catapult to $ 4.4 million.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., who currently has 66 catches, requires four receptions to collect $ 500,000 and 14 receptions to earn $ 1 million.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has nine sacks. If it reaches 10, it would earn $ 1.25 million.

The potential for catcher Odell Beckham Jr. (Los Angeles Rams) to win $ 3 million in incentives would not begin to become effective until the start of the playoffs, a round in which he would win $ 500,000 if he participates and his team prevails in the wild card round . He would collect another $ 750,000 if he plays and the Rams win the divisional round and an additional $ 750,000 if he plays and the Los Angeles team wins the NFC championship. If the Rams qualify for the Super Bowl, Beckham will collect $ 500,000 to play in his team’s loss or $ 1 million if he participates and the team wins the title.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavier Howard has already earned $ 1 million for his invitation to the Pro Bowl. Now, he could collect an additional $ 750,000 if he participates in 70% of Miami’s serves, another $ 750,000 if he plays in 80% of the serves and $ 1 million if he finishes the campaign playing at least 90% of Miami’s serves, up to a cap of $ 2.5 million. So far, Howard has played 928 of the Dolphins’ 1,022 plays (90.8%).

He could collect the bonuses conditional on the barrier of 70% or 80% of serves, only if the Dolphins finish the season improving their position in the NFL compared to the previous season, either in total net defensive yards allowed, net yards allowed per rushing play or net yards allowed per pass play. To collect $ 1 million dependent on 90%, Miami must have improved in the NFL rankings over 2020 in total net defensive yards allowed or net yards allowed per pass play.

Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski could also make some money. With 48 catches, 665 yards and six touchdowns, if he reaches 55 catches, the player will collect $ 500,000; and if it reaches 750 yards, it will charge another $ 500,000. To reach the nine entries, it would add an additional $ 500,000 to the amounts already mentioned.

Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke collected an extra $ 125,000 for each of the victories in which he participated in a minimum of 60% of the aces. With Washington adding six wins (all with Heinicke at quarterback), the player already has $ 750,000 under his belt this year, with a chance to add $ 125,000 this Sunday in his commitment against the Giants. If he succeeds, that $ 875,000 will come close to doubling his base salary of $ 1 million by 2021.

The service totals and playing time used in this article were provided by ESPN Stats & Information. Follow ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter @ESPNStatsInfo