Don’t know about you, but I sure enjoyed the NBA Cup semifinals and final — won by the Knicks on Tuesday — because it was some seriously high-level basketball that we don’t normally see in early December in the Association. Why was that? Because cash money was at stake to all the players involved. New York’s players and head coach Mike Brown each earned $530,933, for example. The runner-up San Antonio Spurs and coach Mitch Johnson each earned $212,373.
What does that have to do with NFL Week 16? There are a lot of guys on the precipice of cashing big on some season-long statistical incentives. I promise you that the players themselves are aware of this and so are their teammates and coaches. It’s not their money, so they want guys to get paid.
One of the most memorable recent examples of a player going out of his way to get his teammate some cash was the final game of the 2021 regular season when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were routing the visiting Carolina Panthers. There was no reason for Tom Brady to still be in the game with about seven minutes left and his team up 31-17 — and with a playoff game the following week — but he refused to leave until he helped good buddy, tight end and fellow future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski earn two incentives worth a combined $1 million.
Gronk reminded Brady on the sideline before the Tampa Bay offense got the ball back: “Let’s go, I need one more,” Gronkowski told Brady. “One more catch?” Brady replied. With 6:29 left, Brady found Gronkowski for his seventh catch of the day and 55th of the season to trigger a $500K bonus. And actually Gronk earned another $500K for reaching 750 yards on the year. Two plays after that Brady-to-Gronk pass, Blaine Gabbert replaced Brady.
So that’s what I’m talking about, and here are a few players I believe can cash in Week 16, along with the full list courtesy of the CBS Sports research team.
Rico Dowdle: $1M for scrimmage yards, $250K for TDs
I have already played Carolina tailback Rico Dowdle priced +110 for an anytime touchdown for Sunday’s huge home game vs. Tampa Bay with solo first place on the line in the NFC South. The Buccaneers are -3 and via the SportsLine Projection Model would shoot up with a victory from 75.2% to capture the South to 90.8%. Carolina would rise from 24.8% to 48.1% with the minor upset. The teams play again Week 18 in Tampa.
Dowdle is making “only” $2.75 million this season on a one-year deal, so he could potentially make half his salary in bonuses on Sunday in Charlotte. Dowdle has seven total touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving) and an eighth gets him the $250,000. Tampa Bay is pretty good against the run — allowing 101.4 yards per game — but has allowed among the most rushing TDs in the league with 16. Dowdle is averaging just 47.5 rush yards per over the past four after 117.5 YPG in the prior six.
The 27-year-old Dowdle gets a $1 million bonus for reaching 1,350 scrimmage yards and is currently at 1,237. The model forecasts him for a combined 88 scrimmage yards (62 rushing) and 0.63 TDs between rushing and receiving. Dowdle isn’t a huge factor in the pass game, as his lone receiving score came Week 6 vs. Dallas.
Keenan Allen: $250K each for TDs, catches, yards
Could these be the final few regular-season games for the future Hall of Fame receiver Keenan Allen? The 33-year-old doesn’t have a contract after this season with the Los Angeles Chargers, but he’s still playing at a high level with 60 catches for 680 yards and four touchdowns. He’s making $3.2 million this year but has up to $2.25 million in incentives. And he might hit a few Sunday in Dallas.
Allen gets $250K for the following benchmarks: six total touchdowns, 71 receptions, 750 receiving yards and then again at 875 yards. He also gets $750K for 80 receptions and another $750K if he reaches 1,000 yards. That one is obviously unlikely as Allen has just a single 1,000-yard season in the past three season, but he also never came close to playing in every game those years. Allen hasn’t missed one in 2025.
The Cowboys are last in the NFL against the pass in allowing 254.8 YPG and tied for last with Cincinnati having allowed 31 TD passes. Allen will want to get as many incentives Sunday as possible because the Chargers have two terrific defenses up next in Houston and Denver. Both are top 11 against the pass. The model has Allen at 3.7 catches for 45 yards and 0.28 TDs for Sunday.
He has gone seven straight games without finding the end zone but did lead the Chargers in targets in Week 15. Allen obviously needs 70 yards to reach 750 for that incentive but hasn’t reached at least 70 since a season-high 119 yards Week 7 vs. Indianapolis. That’s the only game Allen topped 68 yards this year.
I do believe Allen can get 70 on Sunday against that bad defense. No price on that yet at DraftKings due to the uncertain status of fellow wideout Quentin Johnston. He missed last Sunday’s upset win in Kansas City and is questionable for this game. Allen is +1300 for two TDs to hit that benchmark.
More NFL player contract incentives to know
- $1M for 7.5 sacks (Currently at 5.5)
- $700K for 7.0 sacks | $1M for 9.0 sacks (Currently at 6.0)
- $150K for 5 rec TD (Currently at 4)
- $300K for 6 rec TD (Currently at 4)
- $450K for 8 rec TD (Currently at 4)
- $600K for 10 rec TD (Currently at 4)
Dawson Knox (Bills)
- $100K for 30 rec (Currently at 25)
- $100K for 400 rec yds (Currently at 353)
- $100K for 4 TD | $150K for 6 TD (Currently at 3)
DaQuan Jones (Bills)
- $500K for 4.0 sacks | $1M for 5.0 sacks (Currently at 3.0)
Joey Bosa (Bills)
- $250K for 6.0 sacks (Currently at 5.0)
- $750K for 8.0 sacks (Currently at 5.0)
- $1.5M for 10.0 sacks (Currently at 5.0)
- $2M for 12.0 sacks (Currently at 5.0)
Michael Jackson (Panthers)
- $500K for 4 interceptions | $500K for 6 interceptions (Currently at 3)
- $500K for 4 interceptions & playoff berth
- $500K for 6 interceptions & playoff berth
Rico Dowdle (Panthers)
- $1M for 1,350 scrimmage yards (Currently at 1,237)
- $250K for 8 total TD (Currently at 7)
- $250K for 6.0 sacks (Currently at 5.0)
- $500K for 8.0 sacks (Currently at 5.0)
- $750K for 10.0 sacks (Currently at 5.0)
Javonte Williams (Cowboys)
- $250K for 1,250 scrimmage yards (Currently at 1,241)
- $50K for 2 INT | $100K for 3 INT | $150K for 4 INT (Currently at 1)
- $250K for 5.0 sacks | $400K for 7.0 sacks (Currently at 3.0)
- $1M for 7.0 sacks | $2M for 10.0 sacks (Currently at 5.5)
Austin Johnson (Jaguars)
- $250K for 2.0 sacks | $500K for 4.0 sacks (Currently at 1.0)
- $250K for 8.0 sacks (Currently at 6.0)
- $500K for 9.0 sacks (Currently at 6.0)
- $750K for 10.0 sacks (Currently at 6.0)
- $1M for 11.0 sacks (Currently at 6.0)
Marquise Brown (Chiefs)
- $750K for 6 total TD | $1M for 7 total TD (Currently at 5)
- $500K for 500 rec yds (Currently at 494)
- $625K for 625 rec yds (Currently at 494)
- $750K for 750 rec yds (Currently at 494)
- $1.5M for 1,000 rec yds (Currently at 494)
Kareem Hunt (Chiefs)
- $25K for 750 scrim yds (Currently at 679)
- $125K for 905 scrim yds (Currently at 679)
- $375K for 1,000 scrim yds (Currently at 679)
- $625K for 1,250 scrim yds (Currently at 679)
Keenan Allen (Chargers)
- $250K for 6 total TD | $250K for 8 total TD (Currently at 4)
- $250K for 71 receptions | $750K for 80 receptions (Currently at 68)
- $250K for 750 rec yds (Currently at 680)
- $250K for 875 rec yds (Currently at 680)
- $750K for 1,000 rec yds (Currently at 680)
- $900K for 8.0 sacks (Currently at 6.5)
- $900K for 11.0 sacks (Currently at 6.5)
- $900K for 13.0 sacks (Currently at 6.5)
- $500K for 70 receptions (Currently at 67)
- $500K for 80 receptions (Currently at 67)
- $500K for 90 receptions (Currently at 67)
- $500K for 100 receptions (Currently at 67)
- $500K for 1,000 rec yds (Currently at 731)
- $500K for 1,100 rec yds (Currently at 731)
- $500K for 1,200 rec yds (Currently at 731)
- $500K for 1,300 rec yds (Currently at 731)
Hunter Henry (Patriots)
- $250K for 50 receptions (Currently at 46)
- $250K for 55 receptions (Currently at 46)
- $250K for 60 receptions (Currently at 46)
- $250K for 65 receptions (Currently at 46)
Mack Hollins (Patriots)
- $300K for 40 receptions (Currently at 39)
- $400K for 50 receptions (Currently at 39)
- $250K for 70 receptions (Currently at 62)
- $125K for 700 rec yds | $250K for 800 rec yds (Currently at 644)
Cameron Jordan (Saints)
- $400K for 7.0 sacks (Currently at 6.5)
- $400K for 8.0 sacks (Currently at 6.5)
- $600K for 9.0 sacks (Currently at 6.5)
- $375K for 27 FGM (Currently at 25)
- $500K for 30 FGM (Currently at 25)
- $250K for 1,500 scrim yds | $500K for 2,000 scrim yds (Currently at 1,213)
- $500K for 100+ passer rating (Currently at 102.0)
- $500K for 28 pass TD (Currently at 22)
- $500K for 4,000 pass yds (Currently at 3,433)
- $500K for 67.5% comp pct (Currently at 67.4%)
- $500K for playoff berth
Uchenna Nwosu (Seahawks)
- $1M for 9.5 sacks from 2023-25 (Currently at 9.0)
- $2M for 13.0 sacks from 2023-25 (Currently at 9.0)
Lavonte David (Buccaneers)
- $200K for 3.0 sacks | $200K for 6.0 sacks (Currently at 2.5)
Sterling Shepard (Buccaneers)
- $125K for 40 receptions | $125K for 50 receptions (Currently at 39)
- $125K for 400 rec yds | $125K for 500 rec yds (Currently at 371)
- $250K for 1,100 rush yds (Currently at 847)
- $200K for 7 rush TD (Currently at 5)
Dorance Armstrong (Commanders)
- $500K for 6.0 sacks | $1M for 8.0 sacks (Currently at 5.5)
Deebo Samuel (Commanders)
- $450K for 70 receptions | $650K for 80 receptions (Currently at 65)
- $250K for 700 rec yds (Currently at 604)
- $450K for 800 rec yds (Currently at 604)
- $550K for 900 rec yds (Currently at 604)
- $250K for 8 total TD (Currently at 6)
- $375K for 9 total TD (Currently at 6)
- $500K for 10 total TD (Currently at 6)
- $625K for 11 total TD (Currently at 6)
- $750K for 12 total TD (Currently at 6)
Von Miller (Commanders)
- $1M for 9.0 sacks (Currently at 7.0)
- $1.5M for 11.0 sacks (Currently at 7.0)
- $2M for 13.0 sacks (Currently at 7.0)
- $2.5M for 15.0 sacks (Currently at 7.0)
Jake Martin (Commanders)
- $125K for 5.0 sacks | $250K for 7.0 sacks (Currently at 4.5)
This news was originally published on this post .
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