Ted Karras cashes in under NFL’s performance-based pay system
Patriots offensive lineman Ted Karras has qualified for a sizable bump in salary.
The NFL has a performance-based pay system that comes from an annual pool of money created to reward players who garner more playing time relative to their salaries. Karras, who has played four years with the Patriots, stepped in and started a career-high 15 games last season when center David Andrews was lost for the year with blood clots.
As a result, Karras qualified for $635,947, the second-biggest overall payout in the program. He landed $393,363 via the traditional performance-based pay pool, and an additional $242,584 from a veteran performance pool.
Karras, 26, is set to hit free agency next week.
The former sixth-round pick out of Illinois wasn’t the only New England player to cash in under the program. Cornerback J.C. Jackson landed a total of $559,036 (ninth-most), while offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse garnered a $476,850 payday (22nd-most).
In all, the pool for the full team was $4,623,500, and the veteran pool was $2.6 million. Here’s a look at the Patriots who cleared a combined $100,000 or more in performance-based pay.
1. Karras: $635,947
2. Jackson: $559,036
3. Newhouse: $476,850
4. Adam Butler: $379,443.63
5. Silique Calhoun: $314,183.62
6. Ja’Whaun Bentley: $263,934.82
7. Joe Thuney: $254,822.05
8. Jakobi Meyers: $214,965.95
9. Chase Winovich: $205,569.48
10. Ryan Izzo: $192,588.41
11. Jamie Collins: $172,945.09
12. John Simon: $163,309.10
13. Matt LaCosse: $160,903.70
14. James Ferentz: $149,444.23
15. Terrence Brooks: $145,191.43
16. Jonathan Jones: $144,429.74
17. Deatrich Wise: $131,486.37
18. Brandon Bolden: $114,926.64
19. Justin Bethel: $114,167.93
20. Ben Watson: $108,617.63
21. Phillip Dorsett: $104,240.44
22. Jake Bailey: $101,848.50
Overall, undrafted rookie cornerback Charvarius Ward (Kansas City) led all players in the traditional performance-based pay program with a payout of $428,335.
Since 2002, NFL players have collectively received $1.8 billion cumulatively via the performance-based pay program.
Ben Volin contributed to this report.
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