New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood gets a nice pay day even before his new contract kicks in.
Sherwood earned a league high of $1,092,206 through the NFL's performance-based pay program, more than doubling his salary from last season.
The 2021 fifth-round pick earned $1.06 million last season in the final year of his rookie contract. Sherwood agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract this week to remain with the Jets, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract hadn't been announced.
In all, players received more than $452 million in performance-based pay for last season in figures announced by the league on Wednesday. The program is part of the CBA and compensates players based upon their playing time and salary levels, rewarding players who have low salaries and play a high percentage of downs. Players have been paid nearly $2.8 billion since the inception of the program in 2002.
Four players other than Sherwood got bonuses in excess of $1 million: Indianapolis cornerback Jaylon Jones, Carolina cornerback Michael Jackson, Baltimore tackle Daniel Faalele and Chicago tackle Matt Pryor.
Several other notable players received significant pay boosts through the program. Detroit safety Kerby Joseph got about $996,000 on top of his $1.1 million salary after earning All-Pro honors.
Green Bay standout right tackle Zach Tom got nearly $850,000 on top of his salary of $985,000.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy got more than $850,000 on top of his salary of $985,000. Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, gets a big boost in the final year of his rookie contract through the proven performance escalator and is slated to make $5.4 million this season because he made a Pro Bowl in 2023.
The 49ers have started talks on a long-term deal with Purdy that could end up being worth in excess of $50 million a year.
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AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. contributed to this report
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Josh Dubow, The Associated Press
