'No Incentives
Geno Smith's desire to play could cost him in the long run
DK Metcalf met with the press on Wednesday and almost immediately mentioned “incentives”, aka financial bonuses, as a reason to suit up in Seattle’s season finale before then mentioning that yeah it would also be good for the Seahawks to beat the Rams. As far as I can tell, the only player with implicit contractual incentives for statistics is Geno Smith.
Other players can hit milestones, including Metcalf (61 yards to 1,000) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (5 receptions to franchise single-season record), and others could get certain league-mandated raises based on playing time. But Geno’s goals for the second season of the three-year deal he signed in 2023, those that are still within reach at least (touchdowns, playoffs are not), include:
$2 million if the Seahawks win his start
$2 million if he throws for 186 yards
$2 million if he keeps his completion percentage above 69.8% (currently at 70.2%)
At this stage of the season, why not encourage players to hit their incentives? That’s great money for anyone, even Geno, and in this league you never know how close you are to retirement.
However, in Geno’s case playing against the Rams carries a risk — one that undoubtedly he needs to test regardless — that could cost him far more than $4 million: