One Dolphins defender earns extra $300,000 from Jets game

Even though Calais Campbell is nursing a neck injury that surfaced on Friday, the Miami Dolphins defensive lineman has 300,000 reasons to play in Sunday’s regular season finale against the New York Jets.

Outside of Miami’s realistic chances of advancing to the playoffs if the Dolphins (8-8) beat the Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos on the road despite sitting most of the Chiefs’ key starters, Campbell was in position to earn an extra $300,000 this season if he’s able to produce his fifth sack of the season on Sunday.

Campbell, who has contributed 49 tackles, four sacks, five pass deflections, and forced one fumble this season, earned that $300,000 when he took down Aaron Rodgers on a third down play in the third quarter.

If he had recorded a sixth sack he would have gotten an extra $100,000 based on the incentives placed in his contract.

The 17-year veteran, who signed a one-year deal worth $2 million last offseason, was already in line to earn an extra $725,000 from this season because he’s played more than 55 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps (58 percent coming into Sunday’s game), and the Dolphins are on pace to finish the season as a top 20 defense in points allowed, which was a trigger for the bonus.

The Dolphins enter the Jets game tied for eighth in the NFL in points allowed (20.8) this season.

By playing Sunday’s game Campbell played every game in a season for the eighth time in his accomplished, Hall of Fame worthy NFL career.

Campbell, a former University of Miami standout, hasn’t decided if he plans to play an 18th season. He plans to make that decision no sooner than March, which is when free agency rolls around. But the 38-year-old openly admits he’s chasing a Super Bowl title.