The end of the regular season does not just mean that the New England Patriots are now in win-or-go-home mode in the playoffs, but also that they can put a wrap on most of their contract incentives. In
total, 20 of their players had one or several such incentives in their respective deals, and half of them were able to earn all or parts of it.
Miguel Benzan (@patscap), friend of Pats Pulpit and the No. 1 source for Patriots salary cap information on the world wide web, posted a rundown of said incentives on social media recently. Let’s take a look.
Contract incentives earned
- OT Morgan Moses: $1,500,000 (Playing time)
- C Garrett Bradbury: $1,500,000 (Playing time/Playoffs)
- ED K’Lavon Chaisson: $2,000,000 (Playing time/Sacks)
- CB Carlton Davis III: $2,000,000 (Playing time)
- S Jaylinn Hawkins: $450,000 (Playing time/Playoffs)
Five members of the Patriots’ roster were able to earn their full value of contract incentives this season. As can be seen, all of them were tied to playing time. Meanwhile, three also had additional hurdles to be cleared.
Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, for example, needed seven sacks on the season to maximize his intake. Center Garrett Bradbury and safety Jaylinn Hawkins, meanwhile, were able to do so because New England managed to qualify for the playoffs.
Partial contract incentives earned
- WR Stefon Diggs: $1,000,000 of $2,000,000 (Receptions)
- WR Stefon Diggs: $500,000 of $2,000,000 (Receiving yards)
- WR Mack Hollins: $600,000 of $1,000,000 (Receptions)
- TE Hunter Henry: $750,000 of $1,000,000 (Receptions)
- DT Khyiris Tonga: $150,000 of $600,000 (Playing time)
- LB Jack Gibbens: $300,000 of $500,000 (Playing time)
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs headlines the group of Patriots earning partial incentives. He actually did so twice, earning half of his $2 million receptions incentive for finishing with 85 catches and $500,000 of his receiving yards incentive because of his 1,013-yard output.
Teammates Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry both cleared some of their receptions hurdles thanks to their respective 46- and 60-yard campaigns; Henry managed to unlock the third $250,000 escalator in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
Khyiris Tonga and Jack Gibbens, on the other hand, played enough snaps during the regular season to earn parts of their incentive packages.
Contract incentives not earned
- QB Joshua Dobbs: $2,000,000 (Playing time/Playoffs)
- RB Antonio Gibson: $2,000,000 (Scrimmage yards)
- RB Rhamondre Stevenson: $1,800,000 (Scrimmage yards)
- RB Rhamondre Stevenson: $600,000 (Pro Bowl)
- WR Stefon Diggs: $500,000 (Pro Bowl)
- TE Austin Hooper: $1,000,000 (Playing time)
- TE Austin Hooper: $1,000,000 (Receptions)
- DT Christian Barmore: $1,000,000 (Playing time/Sacks)
- DT Christian Barmore: $500,000 (Pro Bowl)
- ED Anfernee Jennings: $4,000,000 (Playing time/Sacks)
- ED Harold Landry III: $1,000,000 (Playing time/Sacks)
- LB Robert Spillane: $1,500,000 (Playing time)
- LB Jahlani Tavai: $2,000,000 (Playing time/Playoffs)
- S Brenden Schooler: $250,000 (Pro Bowl)
Half of the Patriots with incentives in their contracts failed to earn any of them. An 11th player, Stefon Diggs, was unable to get his hands on Pro Bowl recognition, keeping him from adding $500,000 to his total.
The reasons behind not earning incentives are manifold. They are tied to not earning Pro Bowl owners, not playing enough snaps or not putting up the proper production. In some cases, parts of the goals would be accomplished, but others would prevent the incentive from ultimately being unlocked.
Pending incentives
- RB Rhamondre Stevenson: $600,000 (All-Pro)
- DT Christian Barmore: $500,000 (All-Pro)
- S Brenden Schooler: $250,000 (All-Pro)
Given that Stevenson, Barmore and Schooler all failed to earn Pro Bowl recognition, it also seems unlikely that they will get recognized as All-Pros. That does not mean that the first is always indicative of the second — CB Christian Gonzalez in 2024 is an example — but that the honor should not necessarily be expected.
Of the three incentives, only Schooler’s is classified as likely to be earned; he was a first-team All-Pro in 2024.
