Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold and the NFL’s performance bonuses

Brock Purdy now has extra spending cash to hold him over until his pending contract extension.

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback earned $857,842.50 in performance-based pay, the NFL announced on Wednesday. Purdy, the final draft pick in 2022, earned the amount in the league’s annual payout for players who saw significant action — and some who saw little activity — on the field.

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Each year, the league uses a formula that accounts for a player’s total snaps in a given season, his base salary and the bonus pool of $14.128 million available to each NFL team. It’s essentially a way for players who have low base salaries to receive extra compensation for high snap counts.

Purdy’s full season salary of $1.24 million, combined with his total playtime of 81.3% for all potential snaps, netted him a bonus that nearly exceeded his base salary of $985,000.

Of course, Purdy’s days of cashing in on the annual performance bonus are limited. The Pro Bowler is eligible for a massive contract extension following the completion of his third season.

So who else got paid? Here are some of the more notable names and categories for this year’s distribution of performance-based pay.

The $1 million club

Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets, ILB, $1,092,205.86: Sherwood maxed out his playtime percentage and ended up doubling his base salary of $1.05 million last season. He was also incredibly productive for the Jets. He started in 16 of his 17 appearances and led the NFL with 98 solo tackles. That’s why the bonus pay isn’t his biggest reward. This offseason, he signed a three-year extension worth $45 million, including $30 million guaranteed.

Jaylon Jones, Indianapolis Colts, CB, $1,060,961.40: Jones started all 17 games for the Colts last season. He totaled two interceptions, one forced fumble and 100 total tackles.

Michael Jackson, Carolina Panthers, CB, $1,035,259.76: Jackson made the most of his season with the Panthers. The sixth-year veteran appeared in all of Carolina’s games and played on 99% of the team’s defensive snaps.

Daniel Faalele, Baltimore Ravens, OL, $1,020,870.54: Faalele earned extra cash for his first season as a starter. He played all but three of Baltimore’s offensive snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. Faalele ranked 20th in pass block win rate as a guard.

Matt Pryor, Chicago Bears, OT, $1,020,302.75: Pryor is the fifth and final player to receive more than $1 million in bonus pay. Pryor ranked 18th in pass block win rate as a guard, according to Next Gen Stats, and also took snaps at every position except center last season.

Five smallest bonuses

Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, LB, $342.58: Barrett started the year with the Miami Dolphins but retired before he could play a game there, changed his mind and joined Tampa Bay for the end of last season. He played 12 snaps in Week 18 for the Buccaneers.

Evan Hull, Colts, RB, $804.29: Hull earned this amount for playing only one snap last season — a kneel-down at the end of a Week 7 win against the Dolphins.

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Jordan McFadden, Los Angeles Chargers, G, $862.99: McFadden also played just one snap last season. He was an extra offensive lineman for a J.K. Dobbins rush attempt in Week 4 against Kansas City.

Jaret Patterson, Chargers, RB, $917.29: Patterson should thank Chargers special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken for this bonus check. His lone snap of 2024 came on a kickoff return against Kansas City in Week 14. Fun fact: KC safety Justin Reid performed the kickoff and made the tackle on the play.

Jeff Driskel, Washington Commanders, QB, $981.12: Driskel, the backup quarterback, entered the Week 2 game against the Giants after Jayden Daniels left the field following a scramble. Daniels spent one play on the sideline before reentering the game. That’s all Driskel played last season.

Guys who double-dipped with two teams

Jamal Adams, Detroit Lions, S, $2,232: Adams, an eight-year veteran and former Pro Bowler, played in five combined games for the Titans and the Lions last season, netting bonus pay from both clubs.

Baron Browning, Arizona Cardinals, LB, $123,228: Browning started the season with the Broncos, the team that drafted him, before being traded to the Cardinals in exchange for a fifth-round pick. He played 13 games for both clubs in 2024 and made three starts.

Amari Cooper, Buffalo Bills, WR, $19,985: Cooper is another player who was traded midseason. The veteran was dealt from Cleveland to Buffalo to help the Bills’ postseason push.

The other top quarterbacks

Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints, $334,559,90: Rattler was pressed into duty after starter Derek Carr suffered multiple injuries during the season. He started six of seven contests, completing 57% of his passes for four touchdowns and five interceptions.

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Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings, $304,651.46: Darnold was one of the most surprising players of 2024. The former No. 3 pick had a massive comeback season with the Vikings. That netted him a multiyear deal with the Seahawks worth over $100 million.

Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders, $300,038.43: O’Connell received a significant bonus but couldn’t lock down the permanent starting job. In nine games, he completed 63.4% of his passes for 1,612 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. But the Raiders opted to trade for Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith to be their starter for 2025.

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos, $296,509.72: Nix made a serious run at Offensive Rookie of the Year. He started all 17 games for the Broncos, which allowed him to net a significant amount in bonus pay despite being drafted 12th overall and having a full salary of $3.8 million.