EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- While Sam Bradford had no problem securing a $1 million salary escalator for the 2017 season, based on his playing time with the Minnesota Vikings this season, two of the team's veteran defenders had much closer calls to earn incentives in the season finale.
Cornerback Terence Newman, who stood to make $300,000 by playing 72.5 of the Vikings' defensive snaps, logged 37 of 60 snaps against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and finished at 72.8 percent, according to the league's weekly snap count data. Newman had effectively secured a $100,000 bonus for logging 65 percent of the Vikings' snaps before Sunday, but had he played four fewer snaps in the season finale, he would have missed out on the larger bonus.