Alex Okafor Fell One Sack Short of Earning $400K Bonus; Saints Paid It Anyway

Going into the Week 17 matchup against the Carolina Panthers — Alex Okafor needed just one sack to get $400,000.

The New Orleans defensive end’s contract included an incentive that would have paid him that amount if he finished the season with five sacks, but unfortunately for him, the team would rest him during that game to get ready for the playoffs.

It didn’t matter in the end, because the organization paid out the incentive even though he fell short of the goal.

Saints DE Alex Okafor needed 5.0 sacks to earn a $400K incentive this season. He had 4.0 entering Week 17, but the Saints bought out the incentive, just paying Okafor the $400K instead, per source. Quality move by a top organization to reward a player who has become a key piece.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 2, 2019

Okafor returned to the Saints last off-season on a two-year deal after suffering a torn Achilles that cut short his 2017 season. He is set to make a $1.7 million base salary next year as well as a $1.3 million roster bonus.