Aaron Rodgers could make more than his base salary in bonuses this season if he takes the Pittsburgh Steelers on a deep playoff run.
Rodgers is one of several NFL stars, including a few big-name quarterbacks, who could rake in millions more in bonuses if they hit key performance or statistical markers the rest of this season.
If the Steelers make the playoffs, Rodgers would make an extra $500,000. A Pittsburgh wild-card win would earn him another $600,000. A divisional round win? Rodgers gets another $750,000.
The money only grows as the stakes get higher. If the Steelers win the AFC championship, Rodgers will pull in an extra $1 million. A Super Bowl victory, which would be Rodgers’ second, would earn him $1.5 million.
Rodgers would have to play at least 50% of offensive snaps in each game for those dollars to accrue. The 21-year veteran is on a one-year, $13.65 million deal in Pittsburgh, but his base salary is technically only $3.65 million.
If the Steelers (9-6) win the Super Bowl with Rodgers as their quarterback, the future Hall of Famer could make a combined $5.85 million in bonuses.
The Steelers have yet to clinch a postseason spot, but they are in first place in the AFC North with a lead over the Baltimore Ravens by two games in the loss column. Pittsburgh has already beaten Baltimore once on the road and will host the Ravens in Week 18. The Steelers have a 93.4% shot of making the playoffs and a 44.4% chance of making the divisional round per ESPN Research projections.
Rodgers owns an 11-10 playoff record, all in games with the Green Bay Packers. He has not reached the postseason since 2021.
The NFL sorts incentives into two categories — “likely to be earned” and “not likely to be earned” — based on the player and team’s past performance. “Likely” incentives count against the current year’s cap, and if not hit, the team receives a credit the next year. “Not likely” incentives are charged to the next season’s cap if they are hit.
Here are some other incentives on the line over the next couple of weeks. All data is via Roster Management System.
Mayfield and the Bucs have struggled of late, losers of six of their past seven games. And Mayfield, who has dealt with a left shoulder injury, has not been as good down the stretch as he was earlier this season.
But the resurgent quarterback still has a shot at incentives late in the season. Mayfield can earn a $500,000 bonus for finishing in the top 10 of the NFL or top five in the NFC in each of the following: passer rating, touchdown passes, total passing yards, completion percentage and yards per pass.
The maximum Mayfield could make is $2.5 million, though he is unlikely to hit the mark in all of those categories.
As far as touchdown passes, Mayfield is tied for 11th in the NFL with Rodgers, the Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams and the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love with 23, one behind the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts and Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Darnold. Mayfield is tied for sixth in the NFC with Rodgers, Williams and Love.
Mayfield is 13th in the NFL and seventh in the NFC in total passing yards. The other three categories — passer rating, completion percentage and yards per pass — he won’t reach.
With a pair of big games in Weeks 16 and 17, Mayfield has a chance to earn an extra $1 million.
In his first contract with the Seahawks, Darnold has a host of performance — and team-based — incentives.
Darnold can make an extra $500,000 with a 100.0 or higher passer rating this season, plus another $500,000 apiece with 28 or more passing touchdowns, 4,000 or more passing yards or a 67.5% or higher completion percentage.
Darnold’s bonuses are also tied to the Seahawks’ performance. If they finish in the top 10 in the NFL in total offense, Darnold gets an extra $500,000. He’ll get the same amount if they make the playoffs, which they have already clinched.
Even bigger money would come if Seattle advances in the postseason. Darnold would get a $1 million bonus if the Seahawks win the divisional round, $1.5 million if they win the NFC championship or $2.5 million if they win the Super Bowl. He would have to play at least 70% of the team’s offensive snaps during such a run for the incentives to kick in.
In total, Darnold could make himself an extra $5 million in bonuses to go along with the three-year, $100.5 million contract he signed in the offseason after departing from the Vikings.
And he has a decent shot at maximizing those escalators. Darnold currently has a passer rating of 100.6 with 24 touchdown passes, 3,703 passing yards and a 67.2% completion percentage. The Seahawks are eighth in total offense.
Bosa’s one-year, $12,610,000 contract with the Bills this offseason was incentive-laden.
One bonus is tied to Bosa’s sack total. Six sacks would net him an extra $250,000. If he gets to eight, that figure would rise to $750,000. It only goes up from there. If Bosa gets to 10 sacks, he would make an extra $1.5 million and 12 would get him $2 million.
Bosa currently has five sacks, so he still has a chance to earn some bonus money.
He can also earn an extra $250,000 with 45% playing time or $750,000 with 55% playing time or $1 million with 65% playing time. Bosa is at 64.9% participation currently.
The maximum he could make is $3 million.
Samuel has positioned himself to make some extra cash late in the season.
If Samuel reaches 700 receiving yards, he would net $250,000. That escalates to $450,000 with 800 yards or $650,000 with 900 yards.
Samuel has similar escalators for receptions and touchdown catches.
If he reaches 60 receptions, he’ll make an extra $250,000. With 70 receptions, that goes up to $450,000, and 80 receptions would make him $650,000. Eight touchdowns would get Samuel $250,000. That rises to $375,000 with nine touchdowns, $500,000 with 10, $625,000 with 11 or $750,000 with 12.
Going into Week 18, Samuel has already hit several of these. He has 70 receptions, 707 receiving yards and six total touchdowns.
Allen has a host of incentives in his first year back with the Chargers.
If he hits 40 receptions, he’ll make an extra $250,000. That goes up by $250,000 at 50 receptions, 60 receptions and 71 receptions. If Allen gets to 80 receptions, he’d make an extra $750,000 on top of the rest.
Allen has similar escalators, like Samuel, for receiving yards and touchdowns.
Reaching 500 receiving yards would earn Allen a bonus of $250,000. That number would go up by $250,000 at 625 yards, 740 yards and 875 yards. If Allen hits 1,000 yards, he would make $750,000 in addition to the previous numbers.
Six touchdowns would get Allen $250,000 more. That bonus escalates by $250,000 with eight touchdowns.
The rest of Allen’s bonuses are tied to team performance. If Allen gets to 40 receptions and the Chargers make the postseason, he makes an extra $250,000. That total goes up by $250,000 at 50 receptions and 60 receptions plus the playoffs. Allen earns another $250,000 if he gets 40 receptions and the team plays in the divisional round. That goes up by $250,000 with 40 receptions and playing in the AFC Championship Game, as well as 40 receptions and playing in the Super Bowl.
Allen can make a maximum of $5.5 million and is already in line for bonuses. Allen has 73 receptions for 724 yards and four touchdowns. The Chargers have already clinched a playoff spot and have a 52.2% chance of making the divisional round, per ESPN Research.
No high-profile player stands to make more money in bonuses this holiday season than Chubb, who has $9.6 million in potential bonus earnings.
Chubb can make $1.225 million with 60% playing time. He would make $900,000 more with 65% playing time; $900,000 more with 70%, $900,000 more with 75% and another $900,000 more with 78% playing time.
He can make a $1.225 million bonus with six sacks. Additionally, Chubb would earn $900,000 extra with eight sacks, another $900,000 extra with 11 sacks and another $900,000 extra with 13 sacks.
Chubb has 6.5 sacks right now and is at 71% playing time.