Browns pay Joe Flacco the $75,000 bonus he can’t earn when he sits out Sunday

When Joe Flacco signed with the Browns this season, he signed an incentive-laden contract that would pay him more the better he and the team did. It’s fair to say he has exceeded expectations.

So to reward him for that, the Browns have decided to go ahead pay Flacco a $75,000 bonus that he won’t be able to earn on Sunday because he is sitting out with the Browns having already clinched their playoff spot.

According to Field Yates of ESPN, Flacco’s deal includes a $75,000 incentive for each game he plays at least 50 percent of the Browns’ offensive snaps and the Browns win. Flacco will rest in Sunday’s regular-season finale to be healthy for the playoffs, but the Browns converted that incentive to a $75,000 roster bonus for being on the 53-player roster. So Flacco gets the money, even though he won’t play and regardless of whether the Browns win.

It’s a nice gesture from the Browns for a player who has rescued their season by showing up off the couch and playing at a far higher level than anyone could have expected.