NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 13
Salary Cap Accounting Rules

Section 6(c)(xviii)
Valuation of Player Contracts

Notwithstanding any provision in a Player Contract to the contrary or when such payments are actually made, the following rules shall apply in determining the amount of a player’s Salary that is to be included in Team Salary in a particular League Year for purposes of the Salary Cap:

(c)(xviii)

In any Player Contract signed by a player other than a Rookie, if more than three different team performance categories are included as incentives, covering the Final League Year or thereafter, all but the three incentives with the lowest dollar value automatically will be deemed “likely to be earned.” In addition, any team performance bonus for a player other than a Rookie covering the Final League Year or thereafter automatically will be deemed “likely to be earned” unless coupled with a playtime requirement equal to or greater than the player’s actual playtime during the year prior to the execution of the new Player Contract. If the latter requirement is satisfied, a determination of whether the incentive is “likely to be earned” will be made pursuant to Section 6(c)(i). The calculation of these playtime requirements shall exclude special teams plays.