Players are paid much differently in the playoffs than during the regular season. Playoff money comes from a league pool instead of from NFL teams, with a specific amount for each round.
NFL contracts occasionally contain performance bonuses — either incentives or salary escalators — tied to the playoffs. These can be for making the playoffs or for a player’s or his team’s performance in the postseason.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts was a beneficiary of the Philadelphia Eagles winning Super Bowl LIX. Because Hurts hit the 70% offensive playtime mark in the 2024 regular season, his 2025 through 2028 base salaries each increased by $500,000 with the win.
Several performance bonuses remain hanging in the balance for some prominent players this postseason.
- Playoff incentives: $4.35 million
Aaron Rodgers is one of the rare instances of the Steelers putting incentives in a player’s contract. He earned $500,000 for reaching the postseason while playing a minimum of 70% of the offensive snaps during the regular season. His playtime was 89.04%.
Rodgers gets $600,000 for winning a wild-card playoff game and another $750,000 for winning a divisional playoff game. An AFC Championship Game victory is worth an additional $1 million, while winning the Super Bowl would add $1.5 million. He must play at least 50% of the offensive snaps in each of those games.
- Playoff incentives: $500,000
Josh Allen will earn $500,000 if the Bills win the Super Bowl, provided he is on the field for at least 60% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps. He also had to play a minimum of 60% of the offensive snaps during the regular season, which he easily surpassed at 91.34%.
- Playoff incentives: $2 million
Saquon Barkley needed to rush for at least 1,000 yards during the regular season to unlock $2 million in playoff performance bonuses. He finished with 1,140 yards.
His first day of the 2026 league year roster bonus (March 11) increases by $250,000 if the Eagles win the NFC Championship Game, with another $250,000 escalation if they win the Super Bowl. Barkley’s 2026, 2027 and 2028 base salaries also increase by the same amounts.
- Playoff incentives: $1.5 million
Jalen Hurts’ 2026 through 2028 base salaries will each increase by $500,000 if the Eagles win the Super Bowl and he plays at least 70% of the offensive snaps in the game or reaches 70% offensive playtime during the regular season. The playtime requirement was satisfied with 91.56% regular-season participation.
- Playoff incentives:Â $2.5 million
Justin Herbert’s $40.5 million base salary in 2029 will increase by $1.25 million if the Chargers win the AFC Championship Game and he plays at least 50% of the offensive snaps. Winning the Super Bowl would trigger another $1.25 million escalation, provided he meets the same playtime threshold.
- Playoff incentives:Â $2.5 million
Sam Darnold earned $500,000 for Seattle making the playoffs while playing at least 70% of the offensive snaps during the regular season. His playtime was 96.43%.
He has $2 million in incentives tied to the Seahawks’ playoff success: $500,000 for winning a divisional-round game, another $500,000 for winning the NFC Championship Game and $1 million for winning the Super Bowl. He must meet the 70% offensive playtime threshold in each game.
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- Playoff incentives:Â $1.5 million
Keenan Allen enjoyed a successful return to the Chargers after spending the 2024 season with the Bears. He caught 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns.
The Chargers’ playoff berth earned Allen $750,000. More specifically, he earned $250,000 at each of the 40-, 50-, and 60-reception thresholds once the Chargers reached the postseason. Allen receives another $250,000 for the Chargers playing in the divisional round with at least 40 receptions and $250,000 for each additional round they advance.
- Playoff incentives:Â $500,000
Dallas Goedert had $1 million in incentives added to his contract when he took a $4.25 million pay cut to remain in Philadelphia for the final year of his deal. Half of that total is tied to the Eagles’ playoff success.
If Goedert played at least 60% of the offensive snaps during the regular season — which he did at 74.67% — he earns $375,000 for an NFC Championship Game win or $500,000 for a Super Bowl LX victory.
- Playoff incentives:Â $600,000
The 49ers added $3 million in incentives to Jauan Jennings’ contract after declining to give him a new deal. Jennings earns $600,000 for reaching the 35-play threshold in each playoff game. He reached that mark in all 15 regular-season games he played.
- Playoff incentives:Â $1.25 million
The contract Jonah Jackson renegotiated after being acquired from the Rams in March includes $2.5 million in salary escalators tied to offensive playtime.
His 2026 base salary increased by $312,500 at each of the 55%, 65%, 75% and 85% thresholds, totaling $1.25 million. Jackson played 98.18% of Chicago’s offensive snaps. That amount doubled to $2.5 million when the Bears made the playoffs.
- Playoff incentives: $750,000
Tommy Tremble earned $750,000 for Carolina’s playoff berth while playing at least 50% of the offensive snaps. Another $750,000 required 60% playtime.
Unfortunately for Tremble, his playtime was 59.94% (636 of 1,061 snaps). One additional snap would have pushed him to 60.04%. There’s usually language in these types of incentive clauses stating that playtime amounts will not be rounded up with a specific example to underscore this point. Teams occasionally pay incentives that technically were not earned, but it remains to be seen whether Carolina will do so here.
- Playoff incentives:Â $250,000
Foye Oluokun earned $250,000 for reaching at least 85% defensive playtime, contingent on the Jaguars making the playoffs. He finished the regular season at 94.53%.
- Playoff incentives:Â $500,000
Kamren Curl’s $1.5 million incentive for reaching 85% defensive playtime increased to $2 million when the Rams made the playoffs. His defensive playtime was 99.11%.
- Playoff incentives:Â $500,000
Mike Jackson earned $500,000 for intercepting four passes this season. That amount doubled to $1 million with the Panthers reaching the postseason.
- Playoff incentives:Â $500,000
Garrett Bradbury earned $500,000 after the Patriots made the playoffs and he reached the 80% offensive playtime threshold. He played 97.99% of New England’s offensive snaps.