SALARYSPORT
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NFL · SIX KINDS OF MONEY THAT ARE NOT SALARY

NFL bonus money by player

$22,554,987,109 in signing, roster, option, workout and incentive payments across 1,906 careers.

Bonus money is 47.1% of everything itemised, just short of half the money in the league. The six kinds behave nothing like each other: a signing bonus is paid before a snap, a roster bonus is a date on a calendar, a workout bonus is attendance and an incentive is a statistic. Aaron Rodgers has collected more of it than anybody, $338,293,010.

BONUS MONEY PAID $22.55bn
BIGGEST CAREER $338.3m
SHARE OF A CONTRACT 47.1%
KINDS OF BONUS 6
OVER $100M 34

The six kinds of bonus money

What each one is, and what it has paid

47.1% of all NFL money

  • Signing bonus 58.7%
  • Roster bonus 14.0%
  • Restructured money 13.3%
  • Option bonus 11.3%
  • Workout bonus 1.5%
  • Incentives 1.1%
Kind of bonus What triggers it Careers Share of bonus Paid
Signing bonus paid up front and guaranteed the moment the contract is signed 1,905 58.7% $13,234,614,829$13.23bn
Roster bonus paid for being on the roster on a named day of the year 370 14.0% $3,153,440,899$3.15bn
Restructured money base salary converted to signing money so a deal fits under the cap 579 13.3% $3,006,352,822$3.01bn
Option bonus paid to take up a season already written into the deal 232 11.3% $2,555,140,611$2.56bn
Workout bonus paid for turning up to the offseason programme 652 1.5% $346,815,684$346.8m
Incentives paid for hitting a number 447 1.1% $258,622,264$258.6m

Signing bonus is 58.7% of all the bonus money in the league, against 1.1% for incentives, a gap of about 51 to one. Every one of the six is quoted in the same sentence when a contract is announced, and only the first of them is money a player can count on.

The twenty biggest bonus careers

Everything a player was paid that was not base salary

113 careers over $50m

Aaron Rodgers $338m Patrick Mahomes $280m Matthew Stafford $268m Jalen Hurts $254m Josh Allen $220m Trevor Lawrence $209m Dak Prescott $206m Jared Goff $202m Russell Wilson $179m Deshaun Watson $172m Joe Burrow $165m Jordan Love $164m Kirk Cousins $160m Lane Johnson $160m Myles Garrett $157m Kyler Murray $154m Justin Herbert $144m Trent Williams $144m Jalen Ramsey $139m Khalil Mack $136m

A career at the top of this chart was bought rather than rented. Bonus money is agreed in advance and mostly cannot be reversed, so it measures what a club was willing to commit before it knew how the seasons would go, which is a different question from how long somebody drew a paycheque.

Every career with bonus money on it

Ranked by everything that was not base salary

1,906 careers

# Player Position Franchise Signing Share of career Bonus money
001 Aaron Rodgers California Quarterback New York Jets $182.5m 80.9% $338,293,010$338.3m
002 Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs $40.7m 56.2% $279,598,916$279.6m
003 Matthew Stafford Georgia Quarterback Los Angeles Rams $137.5m 63.0% $268,371,037$268.4m
004 Jalen Hurts Oklahoma Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles $25.2m 96.3% $254,055,944$254.1m
005 Josh Allen Wyoming Quarterback Buffalo Bills $30.0m 72.7% $220,051,199$220.1m
006 Trevor Lawrence Clemson Quarterback Jacksonville Jaguars $61.6m 62.0% $209,191,194$209.2m
007 Dak Prescott Mississippi State Quarterback Dallas Cowboys $146.4m 47.3% $206,213,825$206.2m
008 Jared Goff California Quarterback Detroit Lions $116.5m 50.2% $201,538,704$201.5m
009 Russell Wilson Wisconsin Quarterback Pittsburgh Steelers $147.8m 58.7% $179,111,869$179.1m
010 Deshaun Watson Clemson Quarterback Cleveland Browns $80.2m 91.1% $171,993,330$172.0m
011 Joe Burrow Louisiana State Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals $63.9m 48.6% $165,451,525$165.5m
012 Jordan Love Utah St Quarterback Green Bay Packers $90.4m 65.9% $163,854,803$163.9m
013 Kirk Cousins Michigan State Quarterback Atlanta Falcons $108.5m 38.9% $160,172,886$160.2m
014 Lane Johnson Oklahoma Right Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $42.7m 88.5% $159,770,155$159.8m
015 Myles Garrett Texas A&M Defensive End Cleveland Browns $41.3m 92.8% $157,361,687$157.4m
016 Kyler Murray Oklahoma Quarterback Arizona Cardinals $52.6m 53.1% $154,387,938$154.4m
017 Justin Herbert Oregon Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers $33.0m 45.1% $143,735,378$143.7m
018 Trent Williams Oklahoma Left Tackle San Francisco 49ers $86.6m 57.8% $143,558,501$143.6m
019 Jalen Ramsey Florida State Cornerback Miami Dolphins $51.4m 67.0% $138,703,744$138.7m
020 Khalil Mack Buffalo Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers $63.6m 80.3% $136,209,498$136.2m
021 A.J. Brown Mississippi Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles $45.7m 91.7% $134,335,282$134.3m
022 Tyreek Hill West Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins $55.4m 73.5% $132,139,171$132.1m
023 Chris Jones Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $37.0m 48.2% $128,729,863$128.7m
024 Nick Bosa Ohio State Defensive End San Francisco 49ers $72.4m 56.9% $125,277,381$125.3m
025 Joe Flacco Delaware Quarterback Indianapolis Colts $74.8m 68.3% $123,233,264$123.2m
026 Tua Tagovailoa Alabama Quarterback Miami Dolphins $61.6m 46.4% $122,044,807$122.0m
027 Lamar Jackson Louisville Quarterback Baltimore Ravens $77.5m 41.1% $120,005,373$120.0m
028 Cameron Heyward Ohio State Defensive End Pittsburgh Steelers $50.3m 71.0% $113,989,091$114.0m
029 Derek Carr Fresno State Quarterback New Orleans Saints $50.7m 39.6% $113,013,876$113.0m
030 Cameron Jordan California Defensive End New Orleans Saints $35.6m 72.5% $108,773,126$108.8m
031 Joey Bosa Ohio State Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers $59.0m 64.0% $107,749,417$107.7m
032 Stefon Diggs Maryland Wide Receiver Houston Texans $64.8m 76.2% $104,338,421$104.3m
033 Leonard Williams Southern California Defensive End Seattle Seahawks $70.5m 58.9% $102,494,227$102.5m
034 DeVonta Smith Alabama Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles $32.4m 93.3% $100,687,392$100.7m
035 Kenny Clark California-Los Angeles Defensive Tackle Green Bay Packers $47.5m 67.6% $99,334,543$99.3m
036 Jordan Mailata Left Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $30.8m 90.1% $98,279,393$98.3m
037 Christian McCaffrey Stanford Running Back San Francisco 49ers $46.5m 77.9% $97,558,178$97.6m
038 Darius Slay Mississippi State Cornerback Philadelphia Eagles $40.0m 77.0% $96,879,271$96.9m
039 Von Miller Texas A&M Defensive End Buffalo Bills $49.4m 37.6% $95,507,542$95.5m
040 Joshua Hines-Allen Kentucky Outside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $46.6m 54.6% $94,100,413$94.1m
041 Jake Matthews Texas A&M Left Tackle Atlanta Falcons $36.7m 58.7% $93,151,270$93.2m
042 DeForest Buckner Oregon Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $29.4m 57.2% $91,874,973$91.9m
043 Mike Evans Texas A&M Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers $30.8m 60.5% $91,541,588$91.5m
044 Landon Dickerson Alabama Guard Philadelphia Eagles $23.8m 75.7% $89,455,764$89.5m
045 Zack Martin Notre Dame Guard Dallas Cowboys $30.6m 78.3% $88,708,767$88.7m
046 Za'Darius Smith Kentucky Defensive End Cleveland Browns $45.6m 87.3% $87,660,546$87.7m
047 Carson Wentz North Dakota State Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs $35.1m 66.5% $87,578,778$87.6m
048 Brandin Cooks Oregon State Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys $33.4m 72.7% $84,616,670$84.6m
049 Denzel Ward Ohio State Cornerback Cleveland Browns $39.3m 58.9% $83,161,205$83.2m
050 Laremy Tunsil Mississippi Left Tackle Houston Texans $50.3m 50.9% $82,874,264$82.9m
051 Terron Armstead Arkansas-Pine Bluff Left Tackle Miami Dolphins $30.9m 60.5% $82,305,732$82.3m
052 DeAndre Hopkins Clemson Wide Receiver Tennessee Titans $46.9m 57.4% $81,164,453$81.2m
053 Arik Armstead Oregon Defensive End Jacksonville Jaguars $35.4m 65.6% $80,967,489$81.0m
054 Marshon Lattimore Ohio State Cornerback New Orleans Saints $16.8m 65.2% $80,342,591$80.3m
055 Danielle Hunter Louisiana State Defensive End Houston Texans $42.1m 56.2% $79,500,477$79.5m
056 Brandon Aiyuk Arizona State Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers $29.7m 54.2% $77,863,704$77.9m
057 Tyron Smith Southern California Left Tackle New York Jets $22.4m 61.4% $77,175,478$77.2m
058 Baker Mayfield Oklahoma Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers $64.1m 49.5% $76,778,119$76.8m
059 Justin Jefferson Louisiana State Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings $44.0m 44.0% $75,217,226$75.2m
060 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams $27.0m 56.2% $75,019,331$75.0m
061 CeeDee Lamb Oklahoma Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys $45.7m 45.6% $74,876,527$74.9m
062 Ronnie Stanley Notre Dame Left Tackle Baltimore Ravens $38.6m 69.2% $74,867,547$74.9m
063 DeMarcus Lawrence Boise State Defensive End Dallas Cowboys $39.2m 56.7% $72,176,318$72.2m
064 Davante Adams Fresno State Wide Receiver Las Vegas Raiders $38.4m 35.8% $71,725,395$71.7m
065 Marlon Humphrey Alabama Cornerback Baltimore Ravens $26.8m 59.0% $70,786,867$70.8m
066 Daniel Jones Duke Quarterback New York Giants $52.7m 37.6% $70,064,056$70.1m
067 Jimmy Garoppolo Eastern Illinois Quarterback Los Angeles Rams $10.3m 45.8% $69,404,352$69.4m
068 Jerry Jeudy Alabama Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns $14.6m 84.9% $68,597,602$68.6m
069 Tyler Lockett Kansas State Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks $36.8m 64.5% $67,117,057$67.1m
070 Brandon Graham Michigan Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles $23.1m 67.3% $65,777,925$65.8m
071 James Bradberry Samford Cornerback Philadelphia Eagles $24.1m 82.1% $64,908,499$64.9m
072 Calais Campbell Miami (FL) Defensive End Miami Dolphins $40.9m 44.3% $63,588,685$63.6m
073 Patrick Surtain II Alabama Cornerback Denver Broncos $27.6m 46.8% $63,482,678$63.5m
074 Roquan Smith Georgia Inside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens $34.0m 49.3% $63,370,825$63.4m
075 Saquon Barkley Penn State Running Back Philadelphia Eagles $34.9m 73.2% $63,311,807$63.3m
076 Taylor Moton Western Michigan Right Tackle Carolina Panthers $24.2m 70.3% $63,148,228$63.1m
077 Jamal Adams Louisiana State Safety Tennessee Titans $34.5m 89.0% $62,386,238$62.4m
078 Rashan Gary Michigan Defensive End Green Bay Packers $44.2m 51.7% $62,163,240$62.2m
079 Bradley Chubb North Carolina State Outside Linebacker Miami Dolphins $18.5m 46.0% $62,043,486$62.0m
080 Javon Hargrave South Carolina State Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers $35.9m 49.9% $62,028,256$62.0m
081 Preston Smith Mississippi State Defensive End Green Bay Packers $37.2m 60.9% $61,795,256$61.8m
082 Penei Sewell Oregon Right Tackle Detroit Lions $29.9m 39.1% $60,627,832$60.6m
083 Leonard Floyd Georgia Defensive End San Francisco 49ers $45.3m 70.9% $60,497,160$60.5m
084 Jadeveon Clowney South Carolina Outside Linebacker Carolina Panthers $49.3m 58.7% $60,316,740$60.3m
085 Ryan Ramczyk Wisconsin Right Tackle New Orleans Saints $28.9m 56.6% $60,023,193$60.0m
086 Stephon Gilmore South Carolina Cornerback Minnesota Vikings $38.6m 49.4% $59,540,260$59.5m
087 Jaire Alexander Louisville Cornerback Green Bay Packers $36.8m 55.0% $58,933,708$58.9m
088 Tyrann Mathieu Louisiana State Safety New Orleans Saints $49.6m 55.9% $58,644,901$58.6m
089 Dion Dawkins Temple Left Tackle Buffalo Bills $20.8m 48.3% $58,551,529$58.6m
090 Deebo Samuel South Carolina Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers $27.7m 72.4% $58,463,841$58.5m
091 Joel Bitonio Nevada Guard Cleveland Browns $12.8m 54.4% $58,299,459$58.3m
092 Brandon Scherff Iowa Guard Jacksonville Jaguars $28.7m 52.4% $57,498,892$57.5m
093 Keenan Allen California Wide Receiver Chicago Bears $23.6m 43.1% $57,331,588$57.3m
094 Adam Thielen Minnesota-Mankato Wide Receiver Carolina Panthers $30.3m 68.7% $56,632,412$56.6m
095 Fred Warner Brigham Young Inside Linebacker San Francisco 49ers $13.3m 56.9% $56,630,188$56.6m
096 Quenton Nelson Notre Dame Guard Indianapolis Colts $46.5m 47.6% $56,536,393$56.5m
097 Andrew Thomas Georgia Left Tackle New York Giants $36.1m 35.3% $55,759,064$55.8m
098 Chris Lindstrom Boston College Guard Atlanta Falcons $36.2m 42.6% $55,736,351$55.7m
099 Geno Smith West Virginia Quarterback Seattle Seahawks $29.1m 60.2% $55,692,914$55.7m
100 C.J. Mosley Alabama Inside Linebacker New York Jets $20.0m 54.0% $55,531,272$55.5m
101 D.K. Metcalf Mississippi Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks $31.4m 69.3% $55,230,308$55.2m
102 Quinnen Williams Alabama Defensive Tackle New York Jets $46.2m 40.4% $54,509,371$54.5m
103 Christian Wilkins Clemson Defensive Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $33.2m 40.3% $54,264,346$54.3m
104 Mike Williams Clemson Wide Receiver New York Jets $36.8m 64.5% $54,259,983$54.3m
105 Dallas Goedert South Dakota State Tight End Philadelphia Eagles $12.4m 87.9% $54,198,294$54.2m
106 Demario Davis Arkansas State Inside Linebacker New Orleans Saints $30.6m 68.4% $53,969,971$54.0m
107 George Kittle Iowa Tight End San Francisco 49ers $18.3m 70.0% $53,262,327$53.3m
108 Travis Kelce Cincinnati Tight End Kansas City Chiefs $10.5m 48.2% $53,228,887$53.2m
109 Taylor Decker Ohio State Left Tackle Detroit Lions $29.4m 38.3% $51,991,180$52.0m
110 Robert Woods Southern California Wide Receiver Houston Texans $9.4m 59.5% $51,303,423$51.3m
111 Jack Conklin Michigan State Right Tackle Cleveland Browns $27.8m 44.9% $51,183,758$51.2m
112 Brian Burns Florida State Outside Linebacker New York Giants $42.9m 30.1% $50,574,688$50.6m
113 Nnamdi Madubuike Texas A&M Defensive Tackle Baltimore Ravens $26.1m 47.9% $50,072,296$50.1m
114 Amari Cooper Alabama Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns $25.2m 42.7% $49,765,100$49.8m
115 T.J. Watt Wisconsin Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $40.5m 37.5% $49,466,974$49.5m
116 Christian Darrisaw Virginia Tech Left Tackle Minnesota Vikings $25.1m 38.4% $48,566,284$48.6m
117 Shaq Thompson Washington Inside Linebacker Carolina Panthers $26.0m 71.3% $48,350,079$48.4m
118 Odell Beckham, Jr. Louisiana State Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins $42.3m 47.2% $47,846,952$47.8m
119 D.J. Moore Maryland Wide Receiver Chicago Bears $45.7m 25.0% $47,793,357$47.8m
120 Bryce Huff Memphis Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles $16.1m 82.8% $47,605,000$47.6m
121 Rob Havenstein Wisconsin Right Tackle Los Angeles Rams $11.3m 65.4% $47,546,082$47.5m
122 Jameis Winston Florida State Quarterback Cleveland Browns $41.0m 62.4% $47,476,306$47.5m
123 Mike McGlinchey Notre Dame Right Tackle Denver Broncos $28.9m 40.8% $47,256,766$47.3m
124 Tyson Campbell Georgia Cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars $19.9m 55.7% $46,916,440$46.9m
125 Joe Thuney North Carolina State Guard Kansas City Chiefs $17.8m 46.6% $46,620,395$46.6m
126 Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State Running Back Dallas Cowboys $24.8m 62.5% $46,497,480$46.5m
127 Taysom Hill Brigham Young Tight End New Orleans Saints $19.1m 73.0% $45,740,000$45.7m
128 Derwin James Florida State Safety Los Angeles Chargers $27.6m 46.6% $45,622,150$45.6m
129 David Onyemata Manitoba Defensive Tackle Atlanta Falcons $20.9m 71.0% $45,606,499$45.6m
130 Zach Ertz Stanford Tight End Washington Commanders $24.7m 62.4% $45,422,184$45.4m
131 Grady Jarrett Clemson Defensive Tackle Atlanta Falcons $34.7m 37.1% $45,422,147$45.4m
132 Derrick Brown Auburn Defensive Tackle Carolina Panthers $39.7m 35.9% $45,337,731$45.3m
133 Xavier McKinney Alabama Safety Green Bay Packers $26.7m 60.8% $45,262,580$45.3m
134 Bobby Wagner Utah State Inside Linebacker Washington Commanders $34.8m 42.1% $45,223,587$45.2m
135 Foyesade Oluokun Yale Inside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $20.6m 57.9% $44,833,931$44.8m
136 T.J. Hockenson Iowa Tight End Minnesota Vikings $30.4m 47.8% $44,543,108$44.5m
137 Harrison Smith Notre Dame Safety Minnesota Vikings $30.2m 36.3% $44,170,369$44.2m
138 Daron Payne Alabama Defensive Tackle Washington Commanders $36.6m 39.1% $43,566,080$43.6m
139 Haason Reddick Temple Outside Linebacker New York Jets $27.2m 83.4% $43,504,525$43.5m
140 Ed Oliver Houston Defensive Tackle Buffalo Bills $27.1m 44.6% $43,464,072$43.5m
141 Dalvin Tomlinson Alabama Defensive Tackle Cleveland Browns $29.1m 53.7% $43,275,164$43.3m
142 Kevin Byard Middle Tennessee State Safety Chicago Bears $19.9m 59.8% $42,918,215$42.9m
143 Maliek Collins Nebraska Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers $23.9m 62.4% $42,857,739$42.9m
144 Dexter Lawrence Clemson Defensive Tackle New York Giants $29.7m 39.8% $42,827,936$42.8m
145 Minkah Fitzpatrick Alabama Safety Pittsburgh Steelers $28.6m 42.4% $42,669,450$42.7m
146 Shaq Mason Georgia Tech Guard Houston Texans $22.4m 51.4% $42,398,656$42.4m
147 Christian Kirk Texas A&M Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars $22.4m 53.1% $42,220,619$42.2m
148 Kevin Zeitler Wisconsin Guard Detroit Lions $36.6m 45.8% $41,966,692$42.0m
149 Andrus Peat Stanford Guard Las Vegas Raiders $20.0m 67.3% $41,816,891$41.8m
150 Andy Dalton Texas Christian Quarterback Carolina Panthers $29.6m 37.0% $40,960,740$41.0m
151 Mitchell Trubisky North Carolina Quarterback Buffalo Bills $33.4m 79.9% $40,946,690$40.9m
152 Jaylen Waddle Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins $35.9m 32.2% $40,580,450$40.6m
153 Quandre Diggs Texas Safety Tennessee Titans $20.0m 75.4% $40,576,179$40.6m
154 David Njoku Miami (FL) Tight End Cleveland Browns $16.5m 58.7% $39,840,214$39.8m
155 Jacoby Brissett North Carolina State Quarterback New England Patriots $26.7m 68.6% $39,705,837$39.7m
156 Tre'Davious White Louisiana State Cornerback Los Angeles Rams $17.7m 57.7% $39,662,405$39.7m
157 Alvin Kamara Tennessee Running Back New Orleans Saints $16.0m 50.2% $39,557,772$39.6m
158 Wyatt Teller Virginia Tech Guard Cleveland Browns $5.9m 66.1% $39,518,667$39.5m
159 Jonathan Allen Alabama Defensive Tackle Washington Commanders $36.6m 43.4% $39,514,896$39.5m
160 Brian O'Neill Pittsburgh Right Tackle Minnesota Vikings $21.3m 40.8% $39,482,888$39.5m
161 D.J. Reader Clemson Defensive Tackle Detroit Lions $22.7m 51.1% $39,190,258$39.2m
162 Matt Milano Boston College Outside Linebacker Buffalo Bills $19.2m 53.1% $38,715,589$38.7m
163 Tristan Wirfs Iowa Left Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers $34.4m 22.1% $38,675,113$38.7m
164 Chris Godwin Penn State Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers $19.5m 47.7% $38,462,164$38.5m
165 Dante Fowler Jr. Florida Defensive End Washington Commanders $34.7m 58.6% $38,325,563$38.3m
166 Jerry Hughes Texas Christian Defensive End Houston Texans $18.7m 42.2% $38,159,386$38.2m
167 Tytus Howard Alabama State Right Tackle Houston Texans $24.9m 47.7% $37,983,275$38.0m
168 Carlton Davis Auburn Cornerback Detroit Lions $24.0m 77.0% $37,822,348$37.8m
169 Sam Darnold Southern California Quarterback Minnesota Vikings $27.8m 59.2% $37,687,708$37.7m
170 Marcus Mariota Oregon Quarterback Washington Commanders $29.5m 49.7% $37,274,683$37.3m
171 Orlando Brown Jr. Oklahoma Left Tackle Cincinnati Bengals $32.0m 44.0% $37,230,945$37.2m
172 Linval Joseph East Carolina Defensive Tackle Dallas Cowboys $20.2m 50.6% $36,890,827$36.9m
173 Jessie Bates III Wake Forest Safety Atlanta Falcons $19.7m 43.6% $36,589,546$36.6m
174 Tyrod Taylor Virginia Tech Quarterback New York Jets $26.6m 44.2% $36,540,703$36.5m
175 Terry McLaurin Ohio State Wide Receiver Washington Commanders $29.0m 50.5% $36,328,220$36.3m
176 Uchenna Nwosu Southern California Outside Linebacker Seattle Seahawks $26.8m 52.2% $35,729,874$35.7m
177 Mark Andrews Oklahoma Tight End Baltimore Ravens $11.0m 56.2% $35,640,974$35.6m
178 Caleb Williams Southern California Quarterback Chicago Bears $25.5m 89.8% $35,466,058$35.5m
179 Sheldon Rankins Louisville Defensive Tackle Cincinnati Bengals $20.0m 56.8% $35,374,979$35.4m
180 Mitch Morse Missouri Center Jacksonville Jaguars $25.7m 52.2% $35,258,891$35.3m
181 Elgton Jenkins Mississippi State Guard Green Bay Packers $27.0m 45.8% $34,433,712$34.4m
182 Vita Vea Washington Defensive Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers $13.0m 37.8% $34,392,457$34.4m
183 Tyler Higbee Western Kentucky Tight End Los Angeles Rams $8.2m 67.3% $34,264,231$34.3m
184 Laken Tomlinson Duke Guard Seattle Seahawks $22.3m 63.9% $34,228,472$34.2m
185 Marcus Williams Utah Safety Baltimore Ravens $17.6m 38.6% $34,185,361$34.2m
186 Jake Elliott Memphis Kicker Philadelphia Eagles $5.8m 74.6% $34,117,201$34.1m
187 Bryce Young Alabama Quarterback Carolina Panthers $24.6m 89.9% $34,115,072$34.1m
188 Trey Hendrickson Florida Atlantic Defensive End Cincinnati Bengals $18.7m 40.7% $34,059,219$34.1m
189 Derrick Henry Alabama Running Back Baltimore Ravens $21.9m 46.8% $33,923,038$33.9m
190 Travon Walker Georgia Outside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $24.4m 90.2% $33,732,624$33.7m
191 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Notre Dame Outside Linebacker Cleveland Browns $9.1m 81.7% $33,528,298$33.5m
192 Tremaine Edmunds Virginia Tech Inside Linebacker Chicago Bears $17.0m 34.3% $33,482,075$33.5m
193 Jonnu Smith Florida International Tight End Miami Dolphins $18.5m 70.3% $33,385,978$33.4m
194 Grant Delpit Louisiana State Safety Cleveland Browns $9.0m 80.8% $33,254,136$33.3m
195 A.J. Terrell Clemson Cornerback Atlanta Falcons $33.0m 30.7% $33,159,670$33.2m
196 Ryan Kelly Alabama Center Indianapolis Colts $5.8m 48.5% $32,998,239$33.0m
197 Harold Landry Boston College Outside Linebacker Tennessee Titans $22.0m 34.6% $32,977,228$33.0m
198 Josh Sweat Florida State Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles $19.0m 84.7% $32,857,591$32.9m
199 Drake Maye North Carolina Quarterback New England Patriots $23.5m 89.0% $32,619,764$32.6m
200 Jimmie Ward Northern Illinois Safety Houston Texans $21.7m 50.7% $32,524,557$32.5m
201 C.J. Stroud Ohio State Quarterback Houston Texans $23.4m 89.4% $32,439,244$32.4m
202 Marcus Davenport Texas-San Antonio Defensive End Detroit Lions $21.2m 80.7% $32,366,339$32.4m
203 Robert Hunt Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Carolina Panthers $29.9m 29.4% $32,222,807$32.2m
204 Aidan Hutchinson Michigan Defensive End Detroit Lions $23.2m 89.8% $32,055,388$32.1m
205 Justin Tucker Texas Kicker Baltimore Ravens $19.5m 49.6% $32,032,599$32.0m
206 Erik McCoy Texas A&M Center New Orleans Saints $10.4m 47.3% $31,924,512$31.9m
207 Zach Wilson Brigham Young Quarterback Denver Broncos $25.7m 90.1% $31,670,680$31.7m
208 Courtland Sutton Southern Methodist Wide Receiver Denver Broncos $9.1m 47.5% $31,483,107$31.5m
209 Aaron Jones Texas El-Paso Running Back Minnesota Vikings $17.2m 78.1% $31,458,099$31.5m
210 Spencer Brown Northern Iowa Right Tackle Buffalo Bills $7.3m 40.9% $31,415,909$31.4m
211 Will Anderson Alabama Defensive End Houston Texans $22.6m 89.1% $31,373,096$31.4m
212 Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio State Wide Receiver Arizona Cardinals $22.5m 88.6% $31,354,742$31.4m
213 Jeff Okudah Ohio State Cornerback Houston Texans $27.1m 82.8% $31,338,440$31.3m
214 JuJu Smith-Schuster Southern California Wide Receiver Kansas City Chiefs $24.5m 81.0% $31,256,475$31.3m
215 Jeffery Simmons Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Tennessee Titans $31.2m 27.1% $31,230,004$31.2m
216 Frank Ragnow Arkansas Center Detroit Lions $12.6m 39.7% $31,227,907$31.2m
217 Dre'Mont Jones Ohio State Defensive End Seattle Seahawks $21.1m 55.8% $31,201,040$31.2m
218 Kyle Van Noy Brigham Young Outside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens $20.8m 60.9% $31,089,471$31.1m
219 Derek Stingley Jr. Louisiana State Cornerback Houston Texans $22.4m 89.4% $30,997,514$31.0m
220 Larry Ogunjobi Charlotte Defensive End Pittsburgh Steelers $22.6m 64.1% $30,940,022$30.9m
221 Davon Godchaux Louisiana State Defensive Tackle New England Patriots $26.2m 55.9% $30,810,169$30.8m
222 Matt Judon Grand Valley State Outside Linebacker Atlanta Falcons $25.3m 41.9% $30,690,887$30.7m
223 Josh Jacobs Alabama Running Back Green Bay Packers $21.7m 44.9% $30,577,217$30.6m
224 Zach Allen Boston College Defensive End Denver Broncos $16.1m 59.6% $30,558,318$30.6m
225 Evan Engram Mississippi Tight End Jacksonville Jaguars $21.4m 60.3% $30,385,130$30.4m
226 Adoree' Jackson Southern California Cornerback New York Giants $19.8m 60.2% $30,163,590$30.2m
227 Ahmad Gardner Cincinnati Cornerback New York Jets $21.5m 89.1% $29,790,802$29.8m
228 De'Vondre Campbell Minnesota Outside Linebacker San Francisco 49ers $24.9m 76.5% $29,514,499$29.5m
229 Kyle Pitts Florida Tight End Atlanta Falcons $21.3m 67.3% $29,505,192$29.5m
230 Trey Lance North Dakota State Quarterback Dallas Cowboys $22.2m 85.7% $29,240,030$29.2m
231 Joe Alt Notre Dame Right Tackle Los Angeles Chargers $20.9m 87.9% $29,140,944$29.1m
232 Hunter Henry Arkansas Tight End New England Patriots $25.3m 37.1% $28,739,464$28.7m
233 Eric Kendricks California-Los Angeles Inside Linebacker Dallas Cowboys $19.0m 52.1% $28,685,379$28.7m
234 Taron Johnson Weber State Cornerback Buffalo Bills $11.9m 49.9% $28,655,530$28.7m
235 Solomon Thomas Stanford Defensive Tackle New York Jets $21.1m 76.3% $28,576,373$28.6m
236 Calvin Ridley Alabama Wide Receiver Tennessee Titans $26.0m 25.2% $28,236,102$28.2m
237 Lavonte David Nebraska Inside Linebacker Tampa Bay Buccaneers $20.2m 29.7% $28,075,921$28.1m
238 Devin White Louisiana State Inside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles $20.3m 62.3% $28,045,814$28.0m
239 Kayvon Thibodeaux Oregon Outside Linebacker New York Giants $20.0m 88.3% $27,679,038$27.7m
240 Joe Mixon Oklahoma Running Back Houston Texans $18.1m 44.3% $27,656,002$27.7m
241 John Franklin-Myers Stephen F. Austin Defensive End Denver Broncos $6.5m 64.4% $27,642,935$27.6m
242 Jedrick Wills Alabama Left Tackle Cleveland Browns $11.9m 80.5% $27,394,736$27.4m
243 Bobby Okereke Stanford Inside Linebacker New York Giants $12.9m 59.8% $27,364,405$27.4m
244 Patrick Queen Louisiana State Inside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $18.0m 51.3% $27,345,993$27.3m
245 Ja'Marr Chase Louisiana State Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals $19.8m 51.9% $27,339,642$27.3m
246 Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Florida Safety Philadelphia Eagles $10.7m 71.4% $27,189,100$27.2m
247 Trenton Brown Florida Right Tackle Cincinnati Bengals $4.6m 40.0% $27,126,343$27.1m
248 Dawson Knox Mississippi Tight End Buffalo Bills $13.7m 50.9% $26,801,438$26.8m
249 Donte Jackson Louisiana State Cornerback Pittsburgh Steelers $17.3m 77.2% $26,785,627$26.8m
250 Jonah Williams Alabama Right Tackle Arizona Cardinals $24.8m 44.9% $26,635,592$26.6m
251 Jonah Jackson Ohio State Guard Los Angeles Rams $5.3m 45.7% $26,535,882$26.5m
252 Marcedes Lewis California-Los Angeles Tight End Chicago Bears $12.2m 40.9% $26,451,259$26.5m
253 Garett Bolles Utah Left Tackle Denver Broncos $26.2m 33.4% $26,446,712$26.4m
254 Kevin Dotson Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Los Angeles Rams $4.9m 49.0% $26,404,829$26.4m
255 Antoine Winfield Jr. Minnesota Safety Tampa Bay Buccaneers $22.9m 28.4% $26,356,316$26.4m
256 Amon-Ra St. Brown Southern California Wide Receiver Detroit Lions $17.3m 21.0% $26,185,252$26.2m
257 Charvarius Ward Middle Tennessee State Cornerback San Francisco 49ers $12.0m 56.7% $26,057,455$26.1m
258 Michael Pittman Jr. Southern California Wide Receiver Indianapolis Colts $18.8m 32.6% $26,051,115$26.1m
259 Curtis Samuel Ohio State Wide Receiver Buffalo Bills $21.7m 40.8% $25,938,083$25.9m
260 Bud Dupree Kentucky Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers $24.7m 32.8% $25,831,022$25.8m
261 Braden Smith Auburn Right Tackle Indianapolis Colts $18.3m 32.7% $25,638,981$25.6m
262 Alex Highsmith Charlotte Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $16.8m 34.6% $25,582,296$25.6m
263 Mike Onwenu Michigan Right Tackle New England Patriots $22.7m 42.0% $25,570,351$25.6m
264 Chase Young Ohio State Defensive End New Orleans Saints $25.1m 64.6% $25,568,271$25.6m
265 Austin Hooper Stanford Tight End New England Patriots $17.9m 66.1% $25,418,671$25.4m
266 Malik Nabers Louisiana State Wide Receiver New York Giants $18.1m 86.2% $25,187,750$25.2m
267 Maxx Crosby Eastern Michigan Defensive End Las Vegas Raiders $13.8m 24.2% $25,089,315$25.1m
268 Jaylon Johnson Utah Cornerback Chicago Bears $22.3m 30.3% $24,992,927$25.0m
269 Ben Powers Oklahoma Guard Denver Broncos $13.7m 44.4% $24,846,290$24.8m
270 Jordan Hicks Texas Inside Linebacker Cleveland Browns $18.9m 53.1% $24,775,531$24.8m
271 Austin Corbett Nevada Center Carolina Panthers $13.9m 72.1% $24,774,166$24.8m
272 Graham Gano Florida State Kicker New York Giants $17.4m 42.7% $24,655,140$24.7m
273 Jordan Poyer Oregon State Safety Miami Dolphins $11.2m 54.4% $24,606,901$24.6m
274 Carl Granderson Wyoming Defensive End New Orleans Saints $11.3m 41.4% $24,535,000$24.5m
275 Jawaan Taylor Florida Right Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $22.6m 27.3% $24,411,246$24.4m
276 Jayden Daniels Louisiana State Quarterback Washington Commanders $24.3m 64.3% $24,272,108$24.3m
277 Samuel Cosmi Texas Guard Washington Commanders $22.2m 30.6% $24,238,596$24.2m
278 Diontae Johnson Toledo Wide Receiver Carolina Panthers $18.6m 56.5% $24,134,608$24.1m
279 Joseph Noteboom Texas Christian Left Tackle Los Angeles Rams $10.8m 69.1% $24,103,506$24.1m
280 Ikem Ekwonu North Carolina State Left Tackle Carolina Panthers $17.2m 86.7% $23,908,050$23.9m
281 Darnell Savage Maryland Safety Jacksonville Jaguars $12.1m 58.5% $23,894,204$23.9m
282 Kolton Miller California-Los Angeles Left Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $7.9m 30.2% $23,761,583$23.8m
283 Cody Whitehair Kansas State Center Las Vegas Raiders $8.1m 49.6% $23,570,150$23.6m
284 Clelin Ferrell Clemson Defensive End Washington Commanders $23.2m 64.4% $23,473,056$23.5m
285 Shelby Harris Illinois State Defensive Tackle Cleveland Browns $13.1m 63.3% $23,471,586$23.5m
286 Isaac Seumalo Oregon State Guard Pittsburgh Steelers $11.7m 52.2% $23,418,864$23.4m
287 Gabriel Davis Central Florida Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars $11.7m 53.7% $23,247,690$23.2m
288 Jordan Phillips Oklahoma Defensive Tackle Dallas Cowboys $15.1m 59.9% $22,714,402$22.7m
289 Rayshawn Jenkins Miami (FL) Safety Seattle Seahawks $13.7m 54.4% $22,712,072$22.7m
290 Grover Stewart Albany State Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $11.4m 32.7% $22,694,386$22.7m
291 Quinn Meinerz Wisconsin-Whitewater Guard Denver Broncos $12.3m 29.3% $22,615,620$22.6m
292 Christian Barmore Alabama Defensive Tackle New England Patriots $21.6m 26.4% $22,607,996$22.6m
293 Kyle Dugger Lenoir-Rhyne Safety New England Patriots $21.6m 36.1% $22,590,788$22.6m
294 Budda Baker Washington Safety Arizona Cardinals $13.1m 33.0% $22,432,235$22.4m
295 Trevon Diggs Alabama Cornerback Dallas Cowboys $22.2m 22.4% $22,395,922$22.4m
296 Cesar Ruiz Michigan Guard New Orleans Saints $14.3m 39.3% $22,281,240$22.3m
297 Dean Lowry Northwestern Defensive End Pittsburgh Steelers $10.6m 61.1% $22,191,973$22.2m
298 Nelson Agholor Southern California Wide Receiver Baltimore Ravens $19.8m 45.1% $22,136,106$22.1m
299 Jarran Reed Alabama Defensive Tackle Seattle Seahawks $20.6m 61.2% $22,091,687$22.1m
300 Dorance Armstrong Kansas Defensive End Washington Commanders $20.2m 47.0% $22,087,892$22.1m

The table holds the 300 biggest of 1,906 careers with bonus money on them. The signing column is usually most of the row: five of the six kinds of bonus are rounding against the one that is paid up front.

Bonus money by position

How much of each position's money is not base salary

League average 47.1%

Quarterback 56.9% Defensive End 51.2% Wide Receiver 48.7% Left Tackle 48.4% Right Tackle 46.5% Outside Linebacker 46.4% Tight End 45.3% Cornerback 44.8% Defensive Tackle 44.3% Guard 43.1% Inside Linebacker 42.1% Safety 41.9% Running Back 41.3% Center 37.9% Kicker 36.9% Fullback 30.1% Punter 27.4% Long Snapper 11.1%

Quarterback takes 56.9% of its money as something other than salary, and Long Snapper takes 11.1%. The gap is a ranking of which positions clubs are prepared to guarantee, and it lines up almost exactly with the order those positions are paid in.

Bonus money paid each season

Signing, roster, option, workout and incentive money, year by year

Peak in 2024

2024 is the biggest bonus year on record at $4,555,597,532, which was 56.0% of that season's payroll. Bonus money jumps around because it follows the contract cycle rather than the cap: a year with four quarterback extensions in it looks nothing like the year before.

Bonus money by franchise

What each roster was paid on top of salary

32 franchises

# Franchise Players Bonus money
01 Philadelphia Eagles 60 $1,471,322,423$1.47bn
02 Cleveland Browns 66 $1,220,704,346$1.22bn
03 Miami Dolphins 65 $975,393,686$975.4m
04 New York Jets 62 $958,786,431$958.8m
05 San Francisco 49ers 60 $958,126,400$958.1m
06 Jacksonville Jaguars 60 $914,807,617$914.8m
07 Houston Texans 63 $844,179,535$844.2m
08 Dallas Cowboys 59 $832,713,008$832.7m
09 Kansas City Chiefs 56 $809,575,106$809.6m
10 New Orleans Saints 60 $804,852,659$804.9m
11 Buffalo Bills 58 $780,307,451$780.3m
12 Pittsburgh Steelers 63 $747,279,459$747.3m
13 Atlanta Falcons 59 $737,153,690$737.2m
14 Baltimore Ravens 61 $720,902,410$720.9m
15 Detroit Lions 63 $705,040,685$705.0m
16 Los Angeles Rams 62 $697,054,369$697.1m
17 Los Angeles Chargers 59 $673,622,460$673.6m
18 Carolina Panthers 64 $667,315,739$667.3m
19 Green Bay Packers 57 $657,204,056$657.2m
20 Seattle Seahawks 57 $619,015,645$619.0m
21 Minnesota Vikings 61 $592,437,703$592.4m
22 Indianapolis Colts 60 $556,728,194$556.7m
23 Washington Commanders 57 $552,347,000$552.3m
24 Cincinnati Bengals 60 $516,733,126$516.7m
25 Tennessee Titans 59 $505,272,533$505.3m
26 New York Giants 57 $488,042,424$488.0m
27 Arizona Cardinals 58 $470,608,254$470.6m
28 Chicago Bears 60 $445,981,498$446.0m
29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 60 $439,128,220$439.1m
30 New England Patriots 62 $420,266,570$420.3m
31 Denver Broncos 59 $407,405,154$407.4m
32 Las Vegas Raiders 57 $364,679,258$364.7m

Frequently asked questions

Who has earned the most bonus money in the NFL?

Aaron Rodgers, $338,293,010 across 21 seasons, against $79,865,000 in base salary over the same career. Patrick Mahomes is second on $279,598,916.

How much of an NFL contract is bonus money?

47.1%, $22,554,987,109 across the whole file, spread over six kinds of payment that have almost nothing in common beyond not being base salary.

What kinds of bonus does an NFL contract pay?

Six, and in order of what they have paid out: signing bonus on 58.7%, roster bonus on 14.0%, restructured money on 13.3%, option bonus on 11.3%, workout bonus on 1.5%, incentives on 1.1%. Each is triggered by a different event, which is why lumping them together tells a reader almost nothing.

What is an NFL roster bonus?

Money paid for being on the roster on a named day, usually in March. It is the deadline that drives the release of veterans every spring: a club that keeps a player past that date owes the whole thing, so the decision gets made the week before. The league has paid $3,153,440,899 in roster bonuses.

What is an NFL workout bonus?

Money paid for attending the offseason programme, at a fixed rate per session. It is the smallest kind of money on this page at $346,815,684, and it is the only one a player can lose by staying at home in May.

Do NFL incentives count as guaranteed money?

No. An incentive is paid for hitting a number, so it is the least certain thing in a contract and the only part a player has to go out and earn twice. The league has paid $258,622,264 in incentives, which is 0.5% of everything itemised.

Where to next

The seventh part, and the rest of the money

Base salary · Signing bonus · NFL career earnings · The all-time list · Money under contract · By position · By franchise · By draft round

The fifty biggest bonus careers

By position

By season

Elsewhere in American football