The New England Patriots had a number of players awarded performance-based play bonuses for their work during the 2020 season, according to data from the NFLPA.
Many of them should have a sizable paycheck waiting for them. They should — but unfortunately for all players, the NFL deferred these bonuses until at least 2024 due to financial constraints stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, per Garafolo.
The PBP system is designed to award younger players with additional income, based on their playing time in each season. So a player like guard Michael Onwenu, a 2020 sixth-round pick who played 92% of the Patriots’ snaps in 2020, is in line for a significant pay day. Onwenu’s bonus nearly matched his salary ($610,000) for last season,
Here’s a look at what he earned, along with the Patriots’ nine other top PBP earners.
OL Michael Onwenu: $554,792
CB J.C. Jackson: $501,632
WR Jakobi Meyers: $388,794
OLB Chase Winovich: $366,927
TE Ryan Izzo: $363,560
LB Ja’Whaun Bentley: $353,497
FB Jakob Johnson: $316,120
WR Damiere Byrd: $288,446
S Kyle Dugger: $265,593
OT Justin Herron: $216,190
