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Zach Ertz Earned Massive Bonuses With Big Performance in Commanders' Win Over Falcons
Arguably no one had a better Sunday than Zach Ertz.
Not only did his Washington Commanders emerge victorious from an overtime clash with the Atlanta Falcons (and clinch a playoff berth in the process), but Ertz recorded six catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the game, bringing him to 610 yards on the season. Better yet, his overall output triggered some incentives on his one-year contract with the Commanders—to the tune of a collective $750,000.
His game-winning OT touchdown—also his sixth touchdown of the season—triggered a $250,000 bonus, then he got another $250K for breaking 600 yards this year. And if that weren't enough, the tight end cashed in on another $250K for eclipsing 60+ catches (61), bringing that already eyebrow-raising total to $750K.
Zach Ertz’s game-winning touchdown catch that clinched a wild-card spot for the Commanders also was his sixth TD catch of the season, triggering a $250,000 bonus.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2024
Ertz made $250K for that catch, another $250K for going over 600 receiving yards this season, and another $250K for… pic.twitter.com/6rT2n4oGGZ
It's certainly a welcome financial boon for Ertz, whose 2024 base salary with Washington is just $1.2 million (though it's worth up to $5 million). Indeed, he has additional bonuses scheduled for 70 receptions, 700 yards, and eight touchdowns, so there could be room for another windfall should he truly pop off next week.
In any event, he's certainly making the case for another year in Washington should the 34-year-old be interested in sticking around after the final season of his deal.
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Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.