Andy Dalton’s contract incentives if Cowboys win the NFC East are insane

If the Dallas Cowboys win the NFC East on Sunday, quarterback Andy Dalton is set to collect some extra cash.

With a win over the New York Giants on Sunday and a Washington loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys would win the NFC East. If that happens, quarterback Andy Dalton would cash in nicely.

Dalton signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Cowboys to be Dak Prescott’s backup. With Prescott’s season-ending leg injury in Week 5, against the Giants as it were, Dalton became the starter. A concussion and a bought with COVID-19 took him off the field for a few weeks, but with 10 games played and eight starts he has all but locked in the first part of what he needs to do to get $1 million if Dallas makes the playoffs. Entering Sunday’s game, Dalton has played 51 percent of the Cowboys’ offensive snaps.

Andy Dalton has even more incentive money out there

If the Cowboys make the playoffs, and manage to advance, Pro Football Talk has laid out the other incentives Dalton can collect on.

“According to Dalton’s contract, he gets another $500,000 with a wild-card win (plus 35-percent playing time), another $500,000 with a win in the divisional round (plus 35-percent playing time), another $750,000 for an NFC Championship win (plus 35-percent playing time), and another $1.25 million for winning the Super Bowl (plus 35-percent playing time).”

So if the Cowboys go against all odds and win the Super Bowl, Dalton can make up to an extra $4 million on top of his $3 million base salary for this year. And that leaves out what he’s in line to get in free agency, as he showcases himself (without or without making the playoffs) for another shot at being a full-time starter somewhere next season.

The Cowboys surely had to offer Dalton the incentives they did for him to forego clearer chances to start elsewhere last offseason, but the relationship has been mutually beneficial. Prescott’s injury was not a death knell to Dallas’ season, and Dalton has upped his value on the free agent market by playing his best at the most important time of the season.