The final weekend of the NFL regular season delivered its usual drama, with the Buccaneers and Broncos securing the last playoff spots and the Titans locking in the No. 1 overall draft pick. The top pick is expected to come down to a choice between Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his teammate, Heisman-winning two-way standout Travis Hunter, during the NFL Draft in Green Bay.
Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans had a lot riding on the line. He needed five catches totaling 85 yards to secure a $3 million bonus, which partly explains why Baker Mayfield didn’t simply kneel when the Bucs got the ball back with 36 seconds left, leading 27-19 against the Saints. At that point, Evans had eight receptions for 80 yards.
This left his season total at 995 yards, putting his streak of 10 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in jeopardy.
Determined, Mayfield targeted Evans, who caught a 9-yard pass on the game’s final play. That catch pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for the 11th consecutive season, tying Jerry Rice’s NFL record. The achievement sparked a jubilant celebration among teammates, thrilled that Evans secured both a place in history and his hefty bonus.Seattle quarterback Geno Smith entered Sunday’s game against the Rams needing 185 passing yards to earn a $2 million bonus. He exceeded that mark, throwing for 223 yards and four touchdowns, leading Seattle to a 30-25 victory.Buffalo pass rusher Von Miller secured his sixth sack of the season on Sunday, taking down Drake Maye and earning himself a $1.5 million bonus.
Baltimore running back Derrick Henry entered Sunday’s game against Cleveland needing one touchdown to secure a $500,000 bonus. He delivered not one but two scores in the final seven minutes, contributing to the Ravens’ 35-10 rout of the Browns.
Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton needed 82 receiving yards against Kansas City for a $500,000 bonus. He surpassed the target with 98 yards on five catches, helping the Broncos dominate the Chiefs’ backups in a 38-0 shutout.
“Trying to keep track of some of those bonuses, those are good problems to have,” said Broncos coach Sean Payton after clinching a playoff berth in his second season in Denver. “Yards are harder to track, but catches are easy. Sutton needed 82 yards.”
Meanwhile, three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, acquired by the Chiefs in a midseason trade with Tennessee, had $1 million in bonuses on the line. He needed nine catches ($250,000), 140 receiving yards ($250,000), and a touchdown ($500,000) to unlock them.
“We want the guys to reach their bonuses if they’re within reach,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid commented last week.
However, Chiefs coach Andy Reid opted to rest DeAndre Hopkins, along with other starters, to keep them fresh for the playoffs, leaving Hopkins just shy of his $1 million in bonuses.
Other players also fell short of their incentive goals. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray had an impressive outing, throwing four touchdown passes in Arizona’s 47-24 win over the 49ers. However, he needed 50 rushing yards and a touchdown to secure a $750,000 bonus but finished with only 22 rushing yards and no scores on the ground.
Commanders tight end Zach Ertz aimed to earn $250,000 bonuses for reaching 90 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in Sunday’s game. He managed 44 yards and one touchdown in Washington’s 23-19 victory over the Cowboys, falling short of both incentives.
Reflecting on such situations, Broncos coach Sean Payton shared a memory from his time in New Orleans, recalling when Emmanuel Sanders approached him before the season finale with a request tied to reaching his own performance-based bonus.
“When Emmanuel Sanders needed six or seven catches in New Orleans, he came up to me,” Broncos coach Sean Payton recalled. “I said, ‘Look, I already know why you’re here. You’ll have six catches before the end of the first quarter, but you’re staying in the game.’ I think he ended up with nine or ten catches. But yards are different, some of those things are different, and I want all of them to realize everything they’ve earned.”
For Courtland Sutton, the $500,000 bonus was secondary to the joy of clinching his first playoff berth in his seven-year career with Denver.
“Through those dark times, through those seasons where we were playing the last three or four games without playoff contention, you have to lean on faith,” Sutton said. “You have to believe the bigger picture is coming and that it’s going to get better in the long run. You just have to keep that faith.”
For Sutton, the bonus was just that—a bonus.
