How two Kansas City Chiefs players earned an extra $1 million after the season
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Two Kansas City Chiefs received hefty PBP checks in 2025 for high snap counts.
- Performance-Based Pay rewarded lower-paid players across the NFL with $542M.
- PBP payouts do not affect the Chiefs’ 2026 salary cap according to the league.
Two members of the 2025 Kansas City Chiefs made some extra money through the NFL’s Performance-Based Pay program, the league announced in a news release Monday.
On defense, Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner earned an extra $1,150,312. On offense, left guard Kingsley Suamataia earned an extra $1,067,367. Both were among the program’s top-25 beneficiaries.
As negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the program rewards players who play significant snaps while earning modest salaries compared to their peers, supplementing their income when they outperform their contracts.
The system rewards lower-paid players who play bigger roles — such as late-round picks, undrafted players or those still on rookie contracts.
Conner, a former fourth-round pick, led the Chiefs with 1,022 regular-season defensive snaps (98.27%). Suamataia, a second-round pick, was second only to fellow offensive lineman Creed Humphrey in regular-season offensive snaps (1,091 or 98.02%).
The league said more than $542 million in performance-based pay was distributed for the 2025 season. Since 2002, the program has distributed nearly $3.3 billion.
The money comes from a bonus pool and has no impact on the Chiefs’ salary cap in 2026.
