WhoDat!656

New Orleans Saints center Brian de la Puente and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus ranked in the top 25 of players who received performance-based pay from the NFL for 2012, it was announced Wednesday at the league meetings in Phoenix.

De la Puente, the Saints' starting center, will get the third-most, $289,875. Abdul-Quddus, a special-teams standout, comes in at 25th on the list with a bonus of $233,063.


The program compensates players for playing time that far exceeds their salary levels. More than $110.7 million will be distributed to players for their performance during the 2012 season, with Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, an undrafted free agent from Arizona State, getting $299,465 in additional pay. Burfict played for the rookie minimum salary of $390,000 and an additional signing bonus of $1,000. De la Puente earned a base salary of $540,000 in 2012 while Abdul-Quddus was paid $465,000.

The top 25:

1. Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati, LB, $299,465

2. Dallas Reynolds, Philadelphia, G, $294,844

3. Brian de la Puente, New Orleans, C, $289,875

4. Bobby Massie, Arizona, T, $283,776

5 J'Marcus Webb, Chicago, T, $275,360

6. Sam Acho, Arizona, LB, $273,715

7. Bruce Miller, San Francisco, FB, $273,426

8. Max Starks, Pittsburgh, T, $272,590

9. Robert McClain, Atlanta, CB, $269,505

10. Austin Howard, New York Jets, T, $261,431

11. Reshad Jones, Miami, S, $256,612

12. Byron Bell, Carolina, T, $255,547

13. Jerrell Freeman, Indianapolis, LB, $255,018

14. Chris Harris, Denver, CB, $254,164

15. Todd McClure, Atlanta, C, $251,204

16. Brandon Fusco, Minnesota, G, $250,856

17. Richard Sherman, Seattle, CB, $249,201

18. Robert Turner, St. Louis, C, $248,067

19. Miles Burris, Oakland, LB, $243,048

20. Josh Norman, Carolina, CB, $242,475

21. Clint Boling, Cincinnati, G, $237,484

22. Craig Robertson, Cleveland, LB, $236,962

23. Danny McCray, Dallas, S, $236,316

24. Mike Harris, San Diego, T, $233,103

25. Isa Abdul-Quddu, New Orleans, S, $233,063

New Orleans Saints players Brian de la Puente, Isa Abdul-Quddus get performance-based pay | NOLA.com

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

Rugby Saint II

Good. They earned it.

halloween 65

Yes they did!!

QBREES9

good for them !

Boutte

I never heard of this before. That's a nice chunk of change too. For Qudus that's about a 50% bonus.

4everSaint

How do you know if you were shorted a couple hundred bucks or not I wonder heh.

SmashMouth

Good for them.... they earned it.

If they play 12 years at an average of $1,000,000, they can retire easily. Many squander it, sadly.

Kind of makes you sick what some elite players make in comparison. Good for them, of course. But the super high salaries are ruining the game a bit too, IMHO.

vpheughan

Performance Based? Uh Oh, here we go again!

CheramieIII

I like the idea. Give everyone on the team a base for past performance and then salary increases are directly related to the player and team performance.

vpheughan

It could be the basis for a whole new league the PFL Performance Football League. Each position on every team has a base salary and a grocery list of incentives. Only way you change teams is via trade. No production? No $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. The season will be April - September. All I need now is a major TV contract!!