Entering the season finale with the No. 1 seed locked up, it might look on paper like the Baltimore Ravens have nothing to play for. Don’t tell that to DE Jadeveon Clowney. He and several other Ravens could literally cash in with big performances in Saturday’s finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier this morning, Clowney will hit a $750,000 contract incentive with a half-sack against the Steelers. That would give him nine on the year, triggering a major bonus.
After a turbulent 2022 season with the Cleveland Browns, one where Clowney routinely expressed disappointment with how he was used in comparison to Myles Garrett, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens in mid-August. A key camp addition, he’s become one of the most productive rushers of a Ravens’ defense that leads the league with 57 sacks. Clowney is second on the team with 8.5 only trailing DT Justin Madubuike, having a career year with 13.5.
Though Clowney never quite lived up to his billing coming out of the draft, the first overall pick in 2014, he’s been a productive pass rusher throughout his career. He has four seasons with at least 8.5 sacks, though he’s never cracked double-digits. A 1.5 sack showing today would change that. Clowney has two sacks against Pittsburgh for his career, both coming when he was a member of the Browns. Both came in last year’s finale against Pittsburgh.
Not known for his mobility, QB Mason Rudolph will have to counter a Ravens’ rush that has talent and a great scheme under DC Mike Macdonald, able to dial up pressure looks in passing situations. Rudolph has been sacked twice in his two starts.
Clowney isn’t the only Raven trying to net an extra payday. Per Schefter, WR Nelson Agholor needs 48 receiving yards to trigger a $250,000 bonus and ten receptions to hit a $500,000 incentive, while RB Justice Hill needs 113 yards rushing to earn an extra $250,000.
Both are likely to see additional reps with Baltimore resting or limiting several players, including WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR Zay Flowers, and RB Gus Edwards.
Agholor caught four passes for 64 yards in the team’s Week Five loss to the Steelers, making his yardage a realistic goal to hit, though the receptions will be much tougher. Hill will have a taller mountain to climb, but one big run could rocket his odds. He finished with 32 yards rushing and a touchdown against Pittsburgh earlier this season.
So if you see any of those three celebrating a little extra in a game where a win or loss doesn’t matter to the team’s season, that’s probably why. Schefter didn’t mention any Steelers who are chasing incentives. Pittsburgh rarely includes these types of incentives in contracts (quarterbacks are typically the exception), so it usually doesn’t become a late-season talking point.
UPDATE (1:53 PM): Per NFLN’s Cameron Wolfe, ex-Steelers CB Arthur Maulet also has a $200,000 bonus if he can record one sack today. He registered one sack against Pittsburgh in Week Five.
