Two Pittsburgh Steelers received tidy bonuses for their 2025 performance. Per an NFL press release, linebacker Payton Wilson and guard Mason McCormick finished near the top of the league in performance-based pay.
McCormick received $1.173 million in additional pay. Wilson earned another $1.102 million.
As outlined by the press release, the pool of money is “a fund is created and used as a supplemental form of player compensation based upon a comparison of playing time to salary.” This additional payout does not count against a team’s salary cap.
All players who log a single snap are eligible to receive additional money, though those making the least generally benefit the most. For mid-round rookies like Wilson and McCormick, they earn compensation that better reflect their roles on the team.
McCormick spent last season as Pittsburgh’s starting right guard, logging more than 1,000 snaps. His play wasn’t elite, but it was steady and he appears to be a fourth-round gem uncovered by GM Omar Khan and the scouting department. Last season, McCormick received a large bonus from this designated pool. With a strong 2026, McCormick could be in line for a serious payday in the form of a Steelers contract extension.
Wilson appeared in all 17 games with four official starts. Primarily playing in nickel packages, he logged over 700 defensive snaps. He tallied another 331 on special teams, taking over as the unit’s captain after safety Miles Killebrew suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Week 6. Wilson led the Steelers with 126 tackles and had two pass breakups and one interception.
Wilson and McCormick almost certainly won’t the only two Steelers to receive additional pay, but they led the team and were part of the NFL’s top 25. We’ll add the full list to this post once it’s announced.
Chicago Bears CB Nahshon Wright received the highest bonus payout of more than $1.441 million after an impactful season. He signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the New York Jets last week. Per the NFL, more than $542 million in performance-based pay was doled out to players for the 2025 season.
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