kicker was on track to earn a $500,000 incentive, which requires him to make 90 percent or more of his field goal attempts, at the three-quarters mark of the season.He had converted 22 of 23 field goals (95.7 percent) before the Week 13 contest against the . Vinatieri mi sed both of his tries during a blizzard in Buffalo to drop to 88 percent on the season. The NFL's oldest player made both of his field goals the following week against the . Vinatieri's chances at the money ended in Baltimore's rainy, windy conditions Sunday against the , when he went 3 for 5. At 84.4 percent (27 of 32) heading into the season finale, Vinatieri would need to go 18 for 18 against the to reach 90 percent. Performance bonuses can be divided into two basic categories: incentives and salary escalators. Both types can be used to bridge the financial gap when there is a disagreement about a player's value in a negotiation between a player's agent and the team. Incentives are also a way for a player taking a pay cut to make back some or all of the money he is losing through the salary reduction. Incentives are usually designed to be cla sified as not likely to be earned (NLTBE), so that they will not count against the salary cap when a deal is signed. Generally, any incentives with higher thresholds than the player or team's statistical performance Mike Green Women Jersey in the prior season qualify as NLTBE. The most frequent categories for individual achievement are playing time or based on the player's primary function (i.e., receptions or receiving yards for a wide receiver). Coupling an individual achievement with a team statistical performance also makes an incentive NLTBE. If earned, a team will incur a salary cap charge for most incentives after the playoffs end. Incentives are typically paid in February or March following the season in which they are earned. Per-game roster bonuses are treated as incentives under the salary cap even though they are included in the base value of a contract. Considered to be a part of the five-year, $110 million contract extension quarterback signed with the in 2013 are $600,000 of annual game-day active-roster bonuses ($37,500). Two stints on injured reserved this season are costing Rodgers $337,500 because he isn't earning nine games' worth of the roster bonuses.Incentives are preferable to escalators. Triggering an escalator doesn't nece sarily mean that the player will make the increased salary. The escalated amount is rarely guaranteed, so teams can still ask the player to take a pay cut or release him without incurring the financial obligation. John Abraham can relate. The cut the defensive end instead paying him for the 2013 season after he triggered a $1 million base-salary Henrik Zetterberg Women Jersey increase by reaching the required playing time and getting 10 sacks in 2012.The final weeks of a season can create an interesting dilemma for teams that have players with incentives and salary escalators hanging in the balance. Resting a player with money on the Frans Nielsen Women Jersey line to preserve him for the postseason or to evaluate unproven players on teams out of playoff contention can be create friction between the locker room and the coaches/management. running back hit the first threshold of a rushing-touchdown incentive worth $200,000 for nine such scores with three games left in the 2016 season. Three more touchdowns on the ground were worth an additional $200,000. Coincidence or not, , his backup, scored all three of Tenne see's rushing touchdowns near the goal line in the final three contests while Murray remained stuck at nine. There are entirely too many performance bonuses in NFL contracts to recognize them all. Here's a look at 2017 performance bonuses for 20 noteworthy NFL players in addition to Vinatieri. Thirteen of the players are earning bonuses. The other seven won't due to injury or inadequate performance.Earned bonuses TB TE #87 Maximum: $5.5 millionExpected bonus: $3 million$5.5 million of incentives were added to Gronkowski's contract just for 2017 because of his continued unhappine s with the deal he signed in 2012, which made him the NFL's highest-paid tight end. A one-game suspension in Week 14 for a cheap shot on Bills cornerback , along with mi sing another game early in the season because of a thigh bruise, have put earning the entire $5.5 million in jeopardy. Gronkowski is a sured of $3 million by reaching 1,000 receiving yards. He needs at least 90 percent offensive playtime, 80 catches, 1,200 receiving yards or 14 touchdowns for the extra $2.5 million. The playing time and touchdowns marks are unattainable. Eleven catches or 116 receiving yards in the season finale Andreas Athanasiou Women Jersey against the will suffice. Gronkowski can also max out his incentives if he is named first-team All-Pro by the A sociated Pre s. tight end , who earned the honor in 2016, is Gronkowski's main competition for the media's consideration. SEA RB #24 Maximum: $5.5 millionExpected bonus: $1.4 millionLynch's chance to play for his hometown prompted the Oakland native to end his one-year retirement. After a swap of late-round picks with the to acquire Lynch's rights, the Raiders signed him to a two-year, $9 million deal. Lynch has already made an extra $800,000 for his rushing total. He picked up $400,000 at 500 rushing yards and another $400,000 for 600 rushing yards. Lynch has 790 rushing yards. He needs 10 more yards on the ground for additional $600,000, and 1,000 yards rushing would raise the total to $2 million. Starting at 1,100 yards, it's an extra $250,000 with every additional 100 yards up to 1,600. Lynch Thomas Vanek Kids Jersey has seven rushing touchdowns. He picks up $250,000 by rushing for two more. He gets another $250,000 at 12 rushing touchdowns. There's $1.5 million based on individual honors or Lynch's performance in the postseason that won't be earned because the Raiders aren't going to the playoffs. CAR DE #90 Maximum: $750,000Expected bonus: $750,000The future Hall of Famer's reunion with the team that made him the second overall pick in the 2002 draft has been a succe s. Peppers is tied for ninth in the NFL with 11 sacks despite being part of a defensive-end rotation with and . Seven sacks put Peppers in the money with $250,000. Nine sacks was worth $250,000 more. Reaching 11 sacks raised the total to $750,000. Peppers' 154.5 career sacks rank fourth on the all-time list. LV ILB #56 Maximum: $3.75 millionExpected bonus: $1.75 millionJohnson reduced his $6 million 2017 salary by $3.75 million to $2.25 million with an opportunity to make the money back after the 35-year-old suffered the second Achilles tear of his career late in the 2016 season. $3.25 million is tied to Johnson's defensive playtime this season: $750,000 is for 50 percent defensive playtime and the Chiefs improv