NFL Week 18 contract incentives: Von Miller’s firing earns him $1.5 million bonus

Not everyone is playing for a postseason berth in Week 18, but many big names are playing for big contract incentives. Here’s who to kill what.

All info via Spotrac and ESPN.

LB Von Miller, Buffalo Bills and other players demanding sacks

Miller recorded the opening sack against the Patriots, giving him six points on the season and earning him a $1.5 million bonus.

On Saturday, Ravens LB Kyle Van Noy earned $250,000 after notching his 12th sack against the Browns. They celebrated in a proper way.

Several other players could earn significant bonuses with a sack in Week 18. The Dolphins will add a $500,000 bonus with DE Emmanuel Ogbah and 1.5 sacks on Titans LB Arden. Miami LB Tyrell Dodson and DE Calais Campbell can both earn a $300,000 bonus from a sack. Chargers LB Bud Dupree and Commanders DE Dorance Armstrong will each receive $250,000 along with another sack. Lions DE Za’Darius Smith could add the same with two sacks.

Jets DT Javon Kinlaw, Titans LB Kenneth Murray and Vikings LB Blake Cashman could each make the same amount with half the sacks, while Commander DE Dante Fowler Jr. will make $375,000.

WR Mack Hollins, Buffalo Bills

Hollins caught two passes in his debut against the Patriots and finished the season with 30 catches, earning a $50,000 bonus.

QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mayfield’s contract contains five incentives, each worth $500,000. He gets paid if he finishes the season in the top 10 in the league or top five in the NFC in any of these categories: passer rating, touchdown passes, passing yards, completion percentage, or yards per pass attempt. Through 16 games, he is set to earn money from every single game. He is fourth in the league in passer rating (107.6), second in touchdown passes (39), second in passing yards (4,279), second in completion percentage (71.7%), and second in completions per pass attempt (8.0). Is in fifth place. ,

QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

Smith is in line for a big payday if he tops his career numbers to finish the 2024 season. If he surpasses his career highs in passing yards (4,282), passing touchdowns (30), completion percentage (69.755), passer rating (100.874), and 10 wins or playoff berths, he will receive $2 million each. Get dollars. If he gets all five, he’s in line for an additional $5 million.

Smith has a chance to get $6 million over three incentives. With one game remaining, Smith needs 186 passing yards to top his career high, and needs one more win to reach 10 on the season. He also needs to maintain his 70.2 completion percentage to avoid slipping below the career mark he set in 2022. He probably won’t earn a passing touchdown incentive, as he has thrown only 17 TDs this season, or a passer rating incentive (90.5 through 16 games).

WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

To earn the $666,000 incentive, Evans needs to finish in the top 10 in receiving touchdowns. He currently ranks third with 11, so it’s a safe bet that even without a TD in Week 18, he’ll still be in the top 10. Had he finished the season in the top 10 for receiving yards and catches, he would have earned two more bonuses of the same amount. Unfortunately, Evans is 26th in receiving yards with 915 and 35th in catches with 65.

WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Sutton’s deal includes incentives that could earn him an additional $2 million. He received a $500,000 bonus for reaching distances of 500 and 750 yards. If Sutton gets 82 yards in Week 18, he will reach 1,085 yards and earn an additional $500,000 bonus as the team has already scored more points this season (387) than last year (357) Are. He also must have played all 17 of the Broncos’ games, bringing his total per-game bonus to $500,000.

Longshot: RB Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Had Pollard not suffered an injured foot in November and an ankle injury in December, he would have easily received two of these promotions. Injuries have slowed him down and given teammate Tyjay Spears a chance to emerge, taking away some of his opportunities. Still, he’s got an outside chance to earn $250,000 for 1,100 rushing yards (he needs 83 yards in Week 18), and a chance to earn $200,000 for scoring seven touchdowns (he needs two more in Week 18. Is). But unless he somehow caught 19 more passes in the final game of the season, he would not reach 60, which would have earned him $200,000.

Longshot: WR DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs

It’s been a disappointing year for Hopkins, who used to be a receiving machine. In previous years it would have been easier for them to achieve these figures. But things have changed. He needs at least 65 catches to earn $250,000, but as of Week 17 he only has 56 catches. (He has caught six or more passes twice this season, in Weeks 3 and 8.) He needs at least 750 receiving yards to earn $250,000, but currently only has 610.

There’s another incentive, and it’s Hopkins who could absolutely be a hit if he gets a little help from backup QB Carson Wentz, who will start in place of Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs have already sealed the No. 1 seed in the AFC. He needs six touchdowns to bank $250,000, and he has scored five touchdowns through Week 17. If Wentz can get the ball into Hopkins’ hands in the end zone, that money is his.

Got That Money: RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Henry entered Saturday having already made a lot of money. Hitting 1,200 and 1,500 rush yards earned him an incentive of $500,000 each, which he had already accumulated with 1,783 rushing yards. His 14 touchdowns meant he also earned an extra $500,000 for scoring 13 TDs, but then he scored two more for 15 TDs, earning another $500,000. And if he and the Ravens win the Super Bowl, Henry will get another $500,000.

Got That Money: OLB Kyle Van Noy, Baltimore Ravens

He beat Cleveland’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson to reach the 12.5-sack mark, triggering a $250,000 incentive. He celebrated the unexpected windfall like most of us.

TE Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals

gesiki Need 3 receiving yards To reach 600 in the season, that would result in a $125,000 incentive. He got it on the first completion by Joe Burrow in Saturday’s game vs. the Steelers, a 12-yard reception.

Got That Money: RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

There are some more incentives left for Barkley to get, but they aren’t based on his play in Week 18. With 2,283 yards from scrimmage, Barkley has already banked $500,000 in incentives for surpassing both 1,500 and 2,000 yards from scrimmage.

The rest of his contract is about incentive awards and playoff wins. He received $250,000 Thursday for being named to the Pro Bowl. If he’s a first-team All-Pro he gets $500,000. He gets $250,000 if the Eagles win the conference championship, and another $250,000 if they win the Super Bowl.

Got that money: TE Zach Ertz, Washington commander

Ertz was set to earn $250,000 each for catching more than 60 passes, tallying more than 600 receiving yards, and scoring six touchdowns. Coming into Sunday, Ertz needed five catches, 62 yards and two touchdowns to earn those incentives. And thanks to a game against the Atlanta Falcons, Ertz did it. Overall, including overtime (which the Commanders won), Ertz caught six passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns, earning all three incentives and a total of $750,000. But they wouldn’t have done it without overtime, during which Ertz caught three passes for 16 yards and a touchdown.