NFL Week 18 contract incentives: Marquee names could land big money

Not everyone is playing for a postseason berth in Week 18, but there are a number of big names playing for big contract incentives. Here’s who has to hit what.

All information via Spotrac and ESPN.

QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mayfield has five incentives in his contract, 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’s set to earn every single one. He’s fourth in the league in passer rating (107.6), tied for second in touchdown passes (39), second in passing yards (4,279), second in completion percentage (71.7%), and tied for fifth in yards per pass attempt (8.0).

QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

Smith is in line for big money if he can top his career numbers to end the 2024 season. He gets $2 million each if he surpasses his career high in passing yards (4,282), passing touchdowns (30), completion percent (69.755), passer rating (100.874), and either 10 wins or a playoff berth. If he gets all five, he’s in line for an additional $5 million.

Smith has a chance to get $6 million on three incentives. With one game remaining, Smith needs 186 passing yards to top his career high, and one more win to get to 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 the passing touchdown incentive, since he’s thrown just 17 TDs this season, or the passer rating incentive (90.5 through 16 games).

WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

To earn an incentive of $666,000, Evans needs to stay in the top 10 for receiving touchdowns. He’s currently tied for third with 11, so it’s a safe bet that even without a TD in Week 18, he’ll remain in the top 10. If he’d ended 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.

RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Henry’s contract with the Ravens has a number of incentives he’s already earned. He had incentives of $500,000 each when he hit 1,200 and 1,500 rush yards, which he’s already banked with 1,783 rushing yards. His 14 touchdowns on the season means he’s also earned another $500,000 for scoring 13 TDs, and needs one more in Week 18 to earn yet another $500,000 for 15 TDs. And if he and the Ravens win the Super Bowl, Henry gets another $500,000.

Longshot: RB Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

If Pollard hadn’t dealt with an injured foot in November and an ankle injury in December, he would have easily nailed two of these incentives. The injuries have slowed him down and allowed teammate Tyjae Spears to emerge, which has taken some of his opportunities away. Still, he’s got an outside shot at earning $250,000 for 1,100 rushing yards (he needs 83 yards in Week 18), and earning $200,000 for scoring seven touchdowns (he needs two more in Week 18). But unless he can somehow catch 19 more passes in the final game of the season, he won’t make it to 60, which would have earned him $200,000.

Longshot: WR DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs

It has been a down year for Hopkins, who used to be a receiving machine. In previous years, these numbers would have been easy for him to hit. But things have changed. He needs at least 65 catches to earn $250,000, but through Week 17 he has just 56. (He’s caught six or more passes twice this season, in Weeks 3 and 8.) He needs at least 750 receiving yards to earn another $250,000, but currently has only 610.

There’s one more incentive, and this one Hopkins could absolutely hit if he’s given a little help from QB Patrick Mahomes. He needs six touchdowns to bank $250,000, and he has scored five through Week 17. If Mahomes can put the ball in Hopkins’ hands in the end zone, that money is his.

Got that money: RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

There are a few more incentives left for Barkley to get, but those 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 incentives are about awards and playoff wins. He gets $500,000 if he’s a first-team All-Pro, and $250,000 if he’s named to the Pro Bowl. He also 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 Commanders

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