INDIANAPOLIS — After every season is complete, each National Football League team has a certain fixed amount of money available to pay to any player that stepped foot onto the field for that club, broken up by playtime percentage.
Generally, the more playing time a certain player received compared to their salary that season, the more in this performanced-based pay that they receive.
So it might come as no surprise, then, that for the most part, the Indianapolis Colts’ leaders in performanced-based pay in 2016 were generally younger players who — due to a variety of reasons — weren’t likely considered major pieces heading into the season, but grew into significant roles as the year went on.