With the NFL season coming to an end, many fans have learned to dread the final weeks of games due to the lack of importance for so many teams. Jaylen Martin ‘25 is quoted as saying, “Week 18 is definitely the worst week of NFL. The teams don’t have anything to play for and it’s just a waste of time.” This is due to most if not all playoff spots already being determined, and the teams that don’t make the playoffs now have nothing to play for. There is always a clear decrease in competition during this time. However, for some players, week 18 can be the most important week of the season.
In the NFL, is it very common for agents to negotiate accolade-based incentives for the player to receive additional bonuses based on their play during the season. These can range in difficulty from winning Most Valuable Player to playing a certain number of games. These incentives are not only beneficial for the player, but also for the team as they can better guarantee a consistent effort from the player, they invest in to give the best of themselves. This past NFL season had one of the more interesting stories of a player and team going the extra mile to achieve a certain bonus.
Mike Evans, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was coming into week 18 preparing for one of the most important games of his career. He needed a stellar performance to achieve 70 receptions and 1,000 yards to collect his 3-million-dollar bonus. Coming into the fourth quarter, he was still short of his 1,000 yards, and on top of that, the Buccaneers were losing. With the game being on the line, there was no freedom to try to force the ball to Evans and it did not look promising for his bonus. The Bucs scored and got the ball back when many expected them to take victory formation and kneel to finish the game and win. The offensive coordinator, however, took the crowd by surprise and called a passing play for Evans to receive the extra yards he needed. They risked the quarterback Baker Mayfield throwing an interception and giving the saints another chance to win. Evans ended up running the perfect route, getting the necessary yards, and solidifying the Bucs win. The crowd roared louder than ever before as everyone knew what was on the line and had witnessed an unheard-of situation take place.
Martin, who was at the game, described the feeling as electric. “It was louder than I’ve ever heard the stadium. I was so happy for him and it was electric in there.”
It is not often you see a team go the extra mile to guarantee the player’s bonus as the Bucs did with Evans, but it goes to show the level of respect he commands from the team and the staff.
Not all players receive this level of appreciation though, as there are just as many stories of owners and staff intentionally attempting to sabotage a player’s bonus check. In week 18 of the NFL season, Dallas Cowboys were out of a playoff spot and didn’t have much to play for. Their starting quarterback, Cooper Rush was eligible for a contract incentive. Under his contract, if he played 55% of the teams total snaps at QB, he would receive a $500,000 bonus. Rush, however, was startled to see that his name was not in the starting lineup, even after starting all the most recent games for the Cowboys. While this behavior seems unprofessional, it is surprisingly normal in professional settings. Owners and upper management are always taking any chance to save money. These contracts are life changing things for these NFL players and its always interesting to see the lengths they go to reach these incentives.