‘Early and often’ – Baker Mayfield’s plan to get teammate $3m jackpot with legendary NFL landmark on line
The final week of the NFL season will be full of drama. Playoff spots are still to be decided in both the AFC and NFC, while some teams already eliminated from contention are focused on their draft spot. The Buccaneers are one team with plenty to play for in Week 18Getty Then, there’s the added complication of player bonuses. Contract incentives, tied to certain milestones like yardage totals, touchdowns, or game appearances, add another layer of intensity to an already dramatic Week 18 slate. And one player who has plenty to play for in Week 18 is Mike Evans. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver is staring down a milestone that only one name in NFL history shares – Jerry Rice. Evans is just 85 receiving yards from recording his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season. If he reaches the mark and gets five receptions against the New Orleans Saints, not only will he tie the legendary Rice, but he will also bank a $3million bonus and a base salary increase in 2025. Plenty to play for then, Mike. The Buccaneers head into to the Saints game with their own postseason hopes on the line. A win will give them the NFC South and a home playoff game on Wilc Card weekend. A defeat would let the Atlanta Falcons in, but quarterback Baker Mayfield is confident both the playoffs and Evans record will not be compromised – quite the opposite in fact. Evans can hit a $3m bonus in the final week of the NFL seasonGetty If Evans reaches 1,000 yards, he will match a record set by the legendary RiceGetty “To get him to that – obviously, winning is the most important part but those two things go hand in hand,” Mayfield said. “Mike is a huge part of this offense and a huge part of this passing game and so getting him involved early and often is a lot of the reason we’ve had success. “Those things go hand in hand. There’s balance and the most important thing is winning but I see it playing out – if we win, Mike is getting the record.” A number of other NFL stars are chasing mulit-million dollar incentives in Week 18 too. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is 185 passing yards away from a $2m bonus. He also needs just over a 69.7% completion rate to hit another $2m bonus. Meanwhile, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is just 82 receiving yards away from maxing out a $2m bonus of his own. Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller can also make $1.5m with one more sack, while Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray needs 50 rushing yards and a rushing TD to activate a $750,000 salary escalator. According to the below table, created by Toad Sports and shared on X, 33 other stars can hit bonuses of $100,000 or more. A number of NFL stars are chasing big bonuses in Week 18x: @ToadSports With so much money on the line for so many stars, Week 18 is sure to be dramatic. talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel. talkSPORT will bring you live coverage across Week 18 with a double header featuring the Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
The final week of the NFL season will be full of drama.
Playoff spots are still to be decided in both the AFC and NFC, while some teams already eliminated from contention are focused on their draft spot.
Then, there’s the added complication of player bonuses.
Contract incentives, tied to certain milestones like yardage totals, touchdowns, or game appearances, add another layer of intensity to an already dramatic Week 18 slate.
And one player who has plenty to play for in Week 18 is Mike Evans.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver is staring down a milestone that only one name in NFL history shares – Jerry Rice.
Evans is just 85 receiving yards from recording his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season.
If he reaches the mark and gets five receptions against the New Orleans Saints, not only will he tie the legendary Rice, but he will also bank a $3million bonus and a base salary increase in 2025.
Plenty to play for then, Mike.
The Buccaneers head into to the Saints game with their own postseason hopes on the line.
A win will give them the NFC South and a home playoff game on Wilc Card weekend.
A defeat would let the Atlanta Falcons in, but quarterback Baker Mayfield is confident both the playoffs and Evans record will not be compromised – quite the opposite in fact.
“To get him to that – obviously, winning is the most important part but those two things go hand in hand,” Mayfield said.
“Mike is a huge part of this offense and a huge part of this passing game and so getting him involved early and often is a lot of the reason we’ve had success.
“Those things go hand in hand. There’s balance and the most important thing is winning but I see it playing out – if we win, Mike is getting the record.”
A number of other NFL stars are chasing mulit-million dollar incentives in Week 18 too.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is 185 passing yards away from a $2m bonus. He also needs just over a 69.7% completion rate to hit another $2m bonus.
Meanwhile, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is just 82 receiving yards away from maxing out a $2m bonus of his own.
Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller can also make $1.5m with one more sack, while Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray needs 50 rushing yards and a rushing TD to activate a $750,000 salary escalator.
According to the below table, created by Toad Sports and shared on X, 33 other stars can hit bonuses of $100,000 or more.
With so much money on the line for so many stars, Week 18 is sure to be dramatic.
talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel.
talkSPORT will bring you live coverage across Week 18 with a double header featuring the Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
