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5 players with the most to gain or lose in December

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Not every NFL game played in December will have playoff implications, but there will be plenty of players on bad teams with lots on the line over the season's final month.

In a league with an average career length of slightly more than three years, it's fair to say the bulk of NFL players are playing for their jobs every single week. For bottom-of-the-roster players, stringing together a few strong performances in December can make the difference between struggling to find a job in the league and the security of a multi-year contract. For established veterans, hitting free agency on a hot streak can be worth millions.

Just ask Matt Flynn, the poster boy for the December-fueled payday. With Aaron Rodgers resting in 2011's Week 17, Flynn threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns. Months later, he signed a $26-million deal with the Seahawks.

Below, we look at the five impending free agents whose performances in December could have the biggest influence the length and size of their next contracts.

Sam Bradford

Age: 28
2015 cap hit: $12.985 million

Bradford reportedly turned down a multi-year extension worth as much as $18 million per year prior to the start of the season. If true, that may go down as the biggest contract blunder this century.

At best, Bradford looks like a poor fit for Chip Kelly's scheme. At worst, he looks like he's lost his footwork and become scared to throw downfield. It appears inevitable the Eagles are in for wholesale changes in the offseason, including bringing in a new quarterback.

Though Bradford hasn't played since suffering a concussion in Week 10, backup Mark Sanchez has shown nothing and the Eagles should return to Bradford as starter once he's healthy. When they do, Bradford will have a month-long audition to prove he's still an NFL starter.

There won't be any teams offering $18 million per season in free agency, but starting quarterbacks are scarce. If Bradford finishes the season strong, he could play his way into a tenuous starting gig, like Ryan Fitzpatrick in New York or Brian Hoyer in Houston.

If Bradford continues to flop, he'll likely join the ranks of Matt Schaub and Blaine Gabbert as starters turned backups.

Brock Osweiler

Age: 25
2015 cap hit: $1.119 million

The days of massive rookie deals are over. The second contract is what every young player strives for, as second deals typically dwarf the total value of rookie contracts by orders of magnitude - particularly for quarterbacks drafted after the first round.

Take Russell Wilson. As a rookie, he signed a four-year, $2.99-million contract. That's pennies compared to the four-year, $87.5-million extension he inked this summer.

For 2012 second-round pick Osweiler, December will determine whether his second deal makes him rich, or very, very rich.

By playing well enough to keep Peyton Manning planted firmly on the bench, and leading the Broncos to the playoffs in the process, Osweiler can elevate his value into the eight-figure range.

Should Osweiler meet those goals, it's hard to imagine the Broncos letting him walk. It's hard to imagine Osweiler desiring a change of scenery, either. Denver is loaded with talent, in the middle of a Super Bowl window, and set up to sign a quarterback to a big contract as soon as Manning's deal comes off the books.

Matt Forte

Age: 29
2015 cap hit: $9.2 million

Forte is poised to hit two milestones in December: 2,000 career rushing attempts and his 30th birthday. Neither will be seen as a positive when Forte hits free agency in the spring.

The market for running backs with track records of success has bottomed out in recent years, which doesn't bode well for Forte's chances of cashing in.

Complicating matters is the fact that the typically durable Forte has shown signs of breaking down this season. He injured his MCL in Week 8 and missed three games, a stretch in which rookie Jeremy Langford made Forte look very expendable.

Forte desperately needs to outplay Langford down the stretch if he hopes to convince teams he still has a few years of starter's production left in his aging legs. Otherwise, he may be forced to begin the cheap, one-year-deals phase of his career sooner than he'd prefer.

Eric Weddle

Age: 30
2015 cap hit: $10.1 million

Weddle held out of Chargers workouts in the offseason, but reported to camp after it became clear the team had no interest in extending his contract.

Since then, he's endured a rocky season in which he's battled injuries and occasionally looked hesitant to put his body at risk. It's easy to conclude his uncertain financial future has been a distraction.

Weddle has been a premier safety over the last half-decade, but it's difficult to say how teams will feel about the prospect of paying a 30-year-old with skills (and perhaps desire) that appear to be in decline.

Weddle would be well served setting aside thoughts of his contract and resume playing with the abandon he did earlier in his career. If he does, he could boost his free-agent value to the point that several teams come knocking on his door with lucrative offers in tow.

Jason Pierre-Paul

Age: 26
2015 cap hit: $7.35 million

Pierre-Paul knows as well as any player how much money can be earned and lost in an instant. He started the offseason as a candidate for a massive long-term deal before a much-publicized fireworks accident sent his career into a tailspin.

The Giants have heaped praise on Pierre-Paul since his return from the injury, but those words will mean nothing if the pass rusher doesn't prove he can get to the quarterback despite his handicap.

Pierre-Paul failed to register a sack in the two games since his return. He'll have plenty of motivation to put a few in that column before the season ends. Not only is each sack worth $100,000 under the terms of his one-year deal, but each sack will boost his value in free agency by a sizable amount.

A big December would essentially reset Pierre-Paul's career to where it was a year ago, putting him in line for a lucrative multi-year deal. A poor month could lead teams to conclude Pierre-Paul's career is over.

No pressure.

(Salary figures courtesy of Sportrac.com)

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