The were in a generous mood last season. When a hamstring injury left cornerback short of the required 90 percent defensive playtime to qualify for a $1 million incentive, the 49ers decided to pay him anyway. In March, Sherman received the $1 million as signing bonus although his actual playtime in 2019 was 87.3 percent. Teams don't make a habit of paying performance bonuses that aren't actually earned. Performance bonuses can be divided into two basic categories: incentives and salary escalators. Both types of bonuses can be used to bridge the financial gap when there is a disagreement in a negotiation between a player's agent and the team on the player's value. Incentives are also a way for a player taking a pay cut to make back some or all of the money he is losing through the salary reduction. Incentives are usually designed to be cla sified as not likely to be earned (NLTBE) so that they will not count against the salary cap when a deal is signed. Generally, any incentives with higher thresholds than the player or team's statistical performance in the prior season qualify as NLTBE. The most frequent categories for individual achievement are playtime or based on the player's primary function (i.e., rushing yards for a running back). Coupling an individual achievement with a team statistical performance also makes an incentive NLTBE. If earned, a team will incur a salary cap charge for Carmelo Anthony Jersey most incentives after the playoffs end. Incentives are typically paid in February or March following the season in which they are earned.Per game roster bonuses are treated as incentives under the salary cap even though they are calculated as a part of a contract's base value. Because of this treatment, they weren't given any consideration. Incentives are preferable to escalators. Triggering an escalator doesn't nece sarily mean that the player will make the increased salary. The escalated amount is rarely guaranteed so teams can still ask the player to take a pay cut or release him without incurring the financial obligation. Running back won't get the $1 million increase of his 2023 salary from his 2018 performance because the released him Damian Lillard Jersey in March. There are entirely too many performance bonuses in contracts to recognize them all. Here's a look at 2020 performance bonuses for 20 noteworthy players. Maximum: $4.5 millionExpected bonus: $1.625 millionBrady ended his 20-year tenure with the by signing a fully-guaranteed, two-year, $50 million contract with the Buccaneers worth a maximum of $59 million with incentives. The deal contains $2.25 million of annual incentives based on Tampa Bay's succe s provided Brady participates in least 75 percent of Tampa Bay's offensive plays (which he has) and another $2.25 million annually tied to how Brady performs. With the requisite offensive playtime, Brady gets $500,000 for the Buccaneers making the playoffs. The amount increases by $250,000 to $750,000 for winning a wild-card playoff game where Brady plays a minimum of 75 percent of Tampa Bay's offensive snaps or a earning a first-round playoff bye. It becomes $1.25 million instead for winning a divisional round game and the same playtime requirement for that contest. There's another $500,000 for being NFC champions where Brady takes at least three-fourths of the offensive snaps in the game. If Tampa Bay wins the and Brady is on the field for 75 percent or more of the offensive plays during the game, he gets the entire $2.25 million.Brady can make $562,500 each for ranking in the NFL's top five in pa ser rating, touchdown pa ses (or throwing for at least 25 touchdowns), pa sing yards, completion percentage or yards per pa s attempt. He must throw a minimum Keljin Blevins Jersey of 224 pa ses to be eligible to earn any of these incentives.Barring a late season collapse, the Buccaneers will make the playoffs. Brady already has 32 touchdown pa ses. He currently ranks fifth in the NFL with 3,886 pa sing yards. Maximum: $2 millionExpected bonus: $1 millionWhen Ru sell Wilson became the NFL's first $35 million per year player in April 2019, a mechanism to increase his 2023 salary was also included in his four-year contract extension. Wilson's 2023 base salary increases based on his performance during the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons. Each Pro Bowl selection adds $250,000. Each time Wilson is named Super Bowl MVP is worth $500,000. The same goes for NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Every season in which Wilson completes at least 66 percent of his pa ses (minimum of 224 pa s attempts), throws for 4,000 or more pa sing yards or has at least 36 touchdown pa ses adds $250,000 for each achievement.Wilson was named to the Pro Bowl. He is completing 70.2 percent of his pa ses this season. Wilson has also thrown for 3,806 yards with 37 touchdowns. His $21 million 2023 base salary should become $22 million because of his performance this season.Maximum: $5.75 millionExpected bonus: $2.25 millionA lack of interest after Newton's release by the in March led him to sign a one-year deal with a base value of $1.75 million worth up to $7.5 million through incentives. Newton has $ Harry Gilles III Jersey 2.25 million of incentives tied solely to his offensive playtime beginning with $250,000 for at least 13 percent. There's $250,000 each for eight other thresholds: 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent and 90 percent. Newton's offensive playtime for the season is 86.8 percent. An additional $1.5 million in playtime is tied to New England making the playoffs, which is a moot point. At least 50 percent offensive playtime would have earned Newton $250,000. Reaching 60 percent meant a total of $500,000. It was $500,000 apiece for the 70 percent and 80 percent marks. Each playoff win where Newton played at least 50 percent of the game was worth $250,000.Newton has a $500,000 incentive for the Harry Giles III Jersey Pro Bowl, which he did not make. Another $500,000 is for first or second team All-NFL.Maximum: $2 millionExpected bonus: NoneCousins' $2 million of incentives for 2020 from his 2018 contract carried over to the two-year, $66 million extension he signed in March. He has an incentive worth $500,000 for the Vikings winning the Super Bowl this season. It's $2 million instead for a combination of winning the Super Bowl, a top eight ranking in points scored and Cousins being named Super Bowl MVP. The incentives also require Cousins to take a minimum of 75 percent of Minnesota's offensive snaps. It's going to take a miracle for the Vikings to make the playoffs. Maximum: $4 millionExpected bonus: $1 millionDalton quickly signed a one-year deal for $3 million with an additional $4 million in incentives to back up once the released him after late April's . Prescott's season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 has given Dalton extensive playing time.Dalton gets $1 million for taking at least 50 percent of Dallas' offensive snaps. He's at 47 percent heading into