Clayborn secures hefty bonus with 6-sack effort as Falcons best Cowboys
Atlanta Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn took advantage of the Dallas Cowboys' ailing O-line to net himself a healthy six-figure bonus on Sunday.
The 29-year-old accounted for six of the team's eight sacks on quarterback Dak Prescott in a 27-7 victory, the franchise-record effort bringing him to eight on the season and triggering an incentive bonus worth $750,000 - assuming he ends the season on the roster - ESPN's Field Yates reports.
Clayborn has the Cowboys to thank, at least in part, for his lucrative afternoon, as he lined up against backup offensive tackles Chaz Green and Byron Bell - both of whom played in injured star Tyron Smith's stead for the bulk of the contest. The defensive end's fourth sack of the game earned him a $250,000 bonus that required six on the season, a figure he tripled in the fourth quarter with his sixth takedown. In addition to breaking a record previously owned by 1990s Falcons fixture Chuck Smith, Clayborn stuffed his stat line with a pair of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Sunday's victory brought the Falcons' record to 5-4.