Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans made more money on one play than the majority of NFL players earn in a year. Evans banked a $3 million bonus on the final play of the Bucs’ Week 18 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday when he caught a pass from Baker Mayfield and ran for nine yards, taking him over 1,000 yards on the season.
Evans’ $3 million payday wasn’t even the biggest of the day, however. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith took the field on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams with the opportunity to earn $2 million for each of the following: throwing for at least 185 yards, keeping his season-long completion percentage above 69.7% and leading Seattle to a win. He did all three, throwing for 223 yards and completing 74.1% of his passes in the 30-25 victory to trigger $6 million total in contract incentives.
Evans has a provision in his contract that adds $3 million to his 2025 income if he crossed the following statistical thresholds in 2024: 70 catches, 10 touchdowns and 1,000 receiving yards. He had the first two locked up but was still five yards short of 1,000 with 36 seconds remaining in the regular season. After he hit the milestone, the entire team surrounded him in celebration on the sideline.
The escalator represents a nearly 20% raise for Evans, who is set to earn $18 million in base salary next season. The accomplishment also put him in elite company with Jerry Rice, tying the legend’s NFL record with his 11th-straight 1,000-yard season.
Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller was among dozens of other players who earned bonuses in Week 18 for reaching statistical thresholds. Miller’s sixth sack of the year netted him an additional $1.5 million for a single tackle.
The irony of Week 18 Sunday being the make-or-break day for most bonuses is that many of the games are otherwise irrelevant, with teams already guaranteed to either make or miss the playoffs.
The Buccaneers, however, took a legitimate risk to their season by force-feeding Evans on the game’s final play. Up by eight points, they could have ended the game and clinched a playoff spot by kneeling. If they had turned the ball over, the Saints could have potentially come back and won which, combined with an Atlanta Falcons win, would have knocked the Bucs out of the playoffs. The Saints defense, however, didn’t seem particularly interested in closely guarding Evans or trying to force a fumble.
Not all organizations are so charitable. The Dallas Cowboys, for instance, have taken criticism for benching quarterback Cooper Rush for their meaningless Week 18 game against the Washington Commanders. By starting Trey Lance instead, the Cowboys avoided paying Rush an extra $250,000 for hitting the 55% snap count incentive in his contract.
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