NEW YORK-Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura has earned the most in performance-based pay given out Thursday by the NFL.
Skura, an undrafted player in 2016, earned a total of $533,558, nearly doubling his 2018 salary. He got $395,660 from the performance-based pay pool, and $137,898 from the veteran pool.
The program is a collectively bargained benefit that compensates all players, including rookies, based upon their playing time and salary levels. Skura started all 16 games for the Ravens during the 2018 season, playing every offensive play, as well 17 percent of Baltimore's special teams plays. He earned the league minimum salary for a player with one credited season, $555,000). Skura spent the 2016 season and part of 2017 on the Ravens' practice squad.
NFL players will receive $140.88 million in performance-based pay" for the 2018 season. The players' union will dedicate $48 million in benefits ( $1.5 million per team) to fund the veteran performance-based compensation pool for players with one or more accrued seasons. In total, $188.88 million will be disbursed to players under the combined pools.
Behind Skura in bonus payments are guards Austin Blythe of the Rams ($380,600) and Jesse Davis of Miami ($374,833). Blythe was a seventh-round choice in 2016 and Davis was undrafted in 2015.
Titans linebacker Jayon Brown ($373,575) and Rams linebacker Cory Littleton ($371,379), who was a major contributor to Los Angeles making the Super Bowl, round out the top five.
In all, 25 players are getting performance-based payments, including All-Pro defensive backs Eddie Jackson and Desmond King. Jackson receives $323,451, while King earns $300,335.
Denver guard Connor McGovern gets the most money from the veterans pool: $144,472.