NFL incentives: Which players have added motivation in Week 18?
Week 18 is here, the time of the season when it's difficult to determine which players are giving it their full effort and which ones are simply trying to get to the offseason healthy.
Thankfully, some NFL players will have performance incentives added to their contracts, which helps shed some light on who is motivated during otherwise meaningless games.
Let's break down some of the most notable players with attainable contract incentives.
Jump to: Wide receiver | Running back | Tight end | Defense
This one isn't contract-related, but Jefferson needs only 53 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his sixth consecutive season. The Vikings play the Packers on Sunday, and Green Bay is expected to rest plenty of starters in preparation for the playoffs.
π Bet on Jefferson's receiving props here
Milestone: 9 receiving yards and 6 receptions
Allen should be able to hit nine receiving yards fairly easily, but the big bonus comes if he hauls in six passes, which would trigger a $750,000 bonus. The Chargers are resting Justin Herbert in their Week 18 meeting versus the Broncos, but Trey Lance should still look Allen's way often, as he's one of the most reliable pass-catchers in the league.
Milestones: 1 touchdown and 8 receptions
The Bills wideout can earn an extra $150,000 for each incentive if he scores a touchdown or has eight catches. The Bills may rest some starters in a game against the Jets that only matters for playoff seeding, so chasing Shakir's incentive may be a tad risky. However, the Bills will likely score multiple times in the first half, and Shakir could easily have his number called.
Milestones: 93 receiving yards, 10 receptions, and 2 TDs
Samuel's milestones may be out of reach, but you can certainly be confident you will get maximum effort out of the Commanders receiver. Samuel can make over $1.5 million if he hits all three incentives. Getting 93 receiving yards feels the most attainable, which would secure a $450,000 bonus for the 29-year-old.
Milestone: 1 reception
To close out the wide receiver incentives, the Titans' Jefferson only needs one catch to make $100,000. He has at least one catch in 11 straight games.
Milestone: 87 total yards
Barkley can collect $500,000 versus the Commanders on Sunday with 87 total yards to hit 1,500 for the season. The Eagles are seven-point favorites, and the Commanders allow the second-most rushing yards per game (145.7).
Milestones: 66 rushing yards, 2 TDs
The Titans may have little to play for, but Pollard can earn $250,000 if he runs for 66 yards and another $250,000 if he scores twice. The Titans are big underdogs to the Jaguars, who also allow the fewest rushing yards per game (86.1), but that shouldn't discourage the Titans from trying to get their tailback paid.
π Bet on Pollard's receiving props here
Henry needs five catches to secure a $250,000 incentive. The Patriots face the Dolphins, who allow the second-most catches to tight ends. Henry has caught five or more passes in two of his last five games.
π Bet on Henry to get five or more receptions here
Milestones: 6 receptions, 1 TD
Knox can collect $100,000 with six catches and another $100,000 with a touchdown. The Bills face the lowly Jets, but Shakir is also fighting for attention in Buffalo's passing game to reach his own incentives.
Garrett is one sack shy of setting the NFL's single-season record. He was unable to get the job done against the Steelers last week, but he gets to face the Bengals' porous offensive line in Week 18.
π Bet on Garrett's sack prop here
Milestone: 1 sack
Miller is one sack away from a $1-million bonus. He's recorded a sack in three of his last four games. The Commanders face the Eagles on Sunday, and Jalen Hurts has been sacked 32 times this season, the 12th-most in the league.
π Bet on Miller to record a sack here
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