As has been the case for several months now, the Las Vegas Raiders don't have many tangible things to play for in the waning phase of the 2025 NFL season. The playoffs have long been out of reach, and only the fan base is worried about draft position, so these players are playing for pride.
Of course, the final three weeks of the year can serve as an audition for both players and coaches as well. Not everyone, in fact, most of those in the building, will not be back in Las Vegas next year, and in the NFL, your tape is your résumé.
It would be hard for teams in this position to get up for games otherwise, but their livelihoods are at stake. Oh, and several Raiders will be gunning to reach the incentives that were built into their contracts, as they try to scrounge a bit of extra money heading into the offseason.
Several Raiders are surely gunning for incentives in final weeks of season
All told, seven players had incentives built into their contracts for the 2025 season. Isaiah Pola-Mao has more than earned his, as he's played 98.8% of Las Vegas' defensive snaps this year. All he needed to do was play 75% of them to make $500,000. That's a nice payday for him.
Eric Stokes, barring an injury, is likely to keep his $500,000 incentive as well. All he had to do was play 85% of the Raiders' defensive snaps this season, and he'd make the aforementioned amount. He currently sits at 90.8%. Dropping below 85% would mean he makes $375,000 instead.
Now, there are a handful of incentives that won't be reached this season. First, Raheem Mostert had a sliding scale of up to $500,000 if he played 30%, 40%, 50% or 60% of the offensive snaps. He has played just 16.3%, so unless he plays every snap in the final three weeks, his reaching this is unlikely.
Geno Smith's incentives hinged on the Raiders winning in the playoffs, which, of course, they will not. He could have made up to $1.5 million if Las Vegas won the Super Bowl, but as much as $500,000 with a win in the divisional round, and $750,000 in the conference championship.
RELATED: Bombshell QB benching just brought Raiders’ dream coach one step closer
There are some incentives that hang in the balance, however. If Daniel Carlson makes the Pro Bowl, he would earn an extra $100,000. That doesn't seem likely, but with players sitting out, he could make it as a reserve or an alternate.
If A.J. Cole makes the All-Pro First-Team, he would earn an additional $160,000. That is well within his wheelhouse this year, as he has been a bright spot in a dark campaign for the Raiders. But it's never good when a punter is one of your best players.
Lastly, Malcolm Koonce was set to make an additional $200,000 for reaching these playing time percentages: 35%, 45%, 55%, 65%, and 75%. Currently, he has played 41.1% of the team's defensive snaps, meaning he has earned $200,000.
However, with his role diminishing in recent weeks, there's a chance he could slide below 35%. With an uptick, he could land above 45%. Koonce could see a swing of $400,000 depending on how the final weeks of the season shake out, so he'll be extra motivated to make plays and stay on the field.