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Two Steelers Among Nfl Leaders In Performance-based Payouts

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 12: Payton Wilson #41 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the field during an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium on January 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Linebacker Payton Wilson and offensive guard Mason McCormick received some good news on Monday, with each player earning over $1 million in performance-based payouts based on their playing time in 2025.

The NFL announced their top 25 performance-based payouts, with former #Bears CB Nahshon Wright leading the way.

Performance-based pay is a system the league has in place for players for players with high snap counts and low salaries. pic.twitter.com/gB8SRFTE8p
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 16, 2026

Wilson and McCormick, both still on their rookie contracts with the Steelers, benefited from the NFL program that gives pay bumps to players that are still on relatively low salaries but play high snap counts with their teams. Both landed in the top 25 of payouts, with McCormick earning an additional $1.17 million and Wilson $1.1 million.

Wilson played 1,063 snaps in 2025, with over 60% playing time on both defense and special teams. McCormick started all 17 games for the Steelers last season, playing 100% of the team’s offensive snaps.

Wilson is on a four-year, $5.9-million contract with the Steelers, while McCormick’s is four years, $4.8 million. As a result, each player’s recent raise is a substantial amount compared to their yearly average before.

Payouts from the Performance-Based Pay program do not count against the salary cap as the money comes from an NFLPA fund. As a result, McCormick and Wilson got raises, but it doesn’t change anything regarding the Steelers’ ability to sign and extend players entering the 2026 season.

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Two Steelers Among Nfl Leaders In Performance-based Payouts

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