The NFL has crunched the numbers, and a handful of players are in line for some nice bonuses after outperforming their salaries.
Count 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy among them. Thanks in part to a year in which he earned his first Pro Bowl nod and made his first Super Bowl appearance, Purdy earned $739,795 in additional pay via the program, boosting his total salary for 2023 from $889,253 to $1.629 million.
Purdy is scheduled to break $1 million in base salary for the first time in 2024, and because the performance-based pay program depends on a comparison of playing time to salary, it's likely the 49ers' newly anointed franchise quarterback will end up earning additional sums through the end of his rookie contract. As the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy has already outperformed his contract at an incredible rate. When the time comes to sign an extension, Purdy will watch his salary increase exponentially, but in the meantime, the performance-based pay supplementation -- in which Purdy ranked 24th among all players -- is a pleasant addition to his income.
Guard John Simpson topped the list of players receiving additional pay as part of the league's annual performance-based pay program. A 2020 fourth-round pick, Simpson will take home $974,613, nearly doubling his total compensation from the 2023 season.
Simpson has already cashed in on his rising value, signing a two-year, $12 million deal with the Jets after spending one season with the Ravens.
Some other notable names were included in the top 25: Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (No. 2 at $923,059), Dolphins corner Kader Kohou ($878,167), Chiefs guard Trey Smith ($865,484), Seahawks corner Tariq Woolen ($839,154), Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (777,092), and Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland ($759,756).
