Getty Ted Karras is due a salary increase for his work with the New England Patriots in 2019.
The Patriots will pay out $4.6 million to players who outperformed their 2019 contract. Chief among the players in line for a raise is guard Ted Karras who was pressed into extended action because of the absence of David Andrews, who missed most of the season with blood clots.
Explaining the NFL’s Performance-Based Pay System
The NFL’s performance-based pay system is in place to reward players who earn more playing time than their salaries would indicate. In his fourth season, Karras started 15 games. Prior to that, he’d started a combined 5 games over his first three seasons in the NFL.
Because of the increase in playing time, Karras qualified for $635,947, which was the second-largest overall payout in the program this year. The bonus comes as a bit of an early birthday present for Karras who turns 27 on March 15, and it may just be the beginning of a lucrative 10-day period for the Chicago native. With free agency set to begin, his durability and development might earn him a larger payday moving forward.
Karras is expected to receive offers from other teams that could push the Patriots for his services in 2020.
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The Coronavirus Has Much of the NFL’s Operations on Hold
As is the case with most major sports, the NFL’s operations are a bit on hold due to the spread of Coronavirus. As of now, the NFL Draft is still scheduled to get underway on April 23 in Paradise, Nevada, and teams are still supposed to be able to contact free agents on March 18–that includes Patriots QB, Tom Brady.
Hopefully, we know a little more about the containment of the virus by next week, and perhaps there will be a timetable presented for the return to business as usual. Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, the NFL season could be postponed.
A List of the Patriots In Line for a Raise With the NFL’s System
Karras’ time on the field earned him the largest payout, but he wasn’t the only Patriots player to qualify for a salary bump. A total of 22 players on the team earned a bonus.
Here is a list of them, per Boston.com:
1. Karras: $635,947
2. J.C. Jackson: $559,036
3. Marshall Newhouse: $476,850
4. Adam Butler: $379,443.63
5. Silique Calhoun: $314,183.62
6. Ja’Whaun Bentley: $263,934.82
7. Joe Thuney: $254,822.05
8. Jakobi Meyers: $214,965.95
9. Chase Winovich: $205,569.48
10. Ryan Izzo: $192,588.41
11. Jamie Collins: $172,945.09
12. John Simon: $163,309.10
13. Matt LaCosse: $160,903.70
14. James Ferentz: $149,444.23
15. Terrence Brooks: $145,191.43
16. Jonathan Jones: $144,429.74
17. Deatrich Wise: $131,486.37
18. Brandon Bolden: $114,926.64
19. Justin Bethel: $114,167.93
20. Ben Watson: $108,617.63
21. Phillip Dorsett: $104,240.44
22. Jake Bailey: $101,848.50
Jamie Collins left the Pats for a free-agent offer from the Detroit Lions. Ben Watson has chosen to retire, Joe Thuney received the franchise tag from New England and as of the publication of this article, Dorsett was still an available free agent
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