The NFL has released figures for performance-based compensation earned by players for the 2025 season. The NFL has paid more than $542 million to players, averaging nearly $17 million per team, based on playing time and salary. Some of the lower paid players on the team can earn a nice bonus based on playing time.
Under the Performance-based compensation programa fund is created and used as an additional form of player compensation, based on a comparison between playing time and salary. Players become eligible to receive a bonus distribution during any regular season in which they face at least one official. In general, players with higher playing time percentages and lower salaries benefit the most from pools.
Performance-based compensation is calculated using a player index (“Index”). To produce the index, a player’s regular season playing time (total plays on offense, defense and special teams) is divided by his regular season adjusted compensation (full season salary, prorated portion of signing bonus, bonuses earned). Each player’s Index is then compared to that of the other players on his team to determine the amount of his Performance Remuneration.
How performance-based pay works
If a player’s full-season salary is less than the CBA minimum salary for a player with seven or more credited seasons, additional salary will be charged to that player so that his salary equals the minimum salary for a player with seven or more credited seasons (i.e. $1.255M for the 2025 season). By charging a minimum salary of $1.255 million, a slightly higher percentage of the pool is directed toward high-performing veteran players whose salaries exceed $1.255 million, but are not among the highest in the League, as the formula calls for. This salary imputation is for the sole purpose of calculating pool distributions and does not affect the actual salary paid to the player under his contract.
The Washington Commanders player who earned the largest bonus from last season was fourth-year goaltender Chris Paul, who earned an additional $1,202,142. That’s more than double the $1.11 million he made for the final year of his rookie contract. Paul had been a backup for his first three years in Washington after being chosen in the 7th round of the 2022 draft.
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Chris Paul earned the starting left guard job in Week 3 last season, taking over for new starter Brandon Coleman. He kept the job for the season and tested free agency. Paul ended up signing for another year with the Commanders and will compete for the LG job again this season.
