Overview
- Former Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright led all recipients with a $1,441,397 payout after playing about 97% of Chicago’s defensive snaps in 2025; he has since signed a one-year deal with the Jets.
- The league’s distribution exceeded $542 million for the season and does not count against team salary caps, with cumulative payouts since the program’s 2002 launch nearing $3.3 billion.
- Cleveland safety Ronnie Hickman (about $1.29 million), Falcons tackle Elijah Wilkinson (about $1.27 million) and Panthers safety Nick Scott were among the top earners behind Wright.
- The formula allocates each club’s pool using an index that compares a player’s snap share to his adjusted compensation, with a $1.255 million imputed minimum salary used for calculation purposes in 2025.
- Team examples underscored the breadth of the payouts, including Denver cornerback Riley Moss at $1.136 million and Green Bay safety Evan Williams at $1.003 million, the 25th-highest award.