Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Seahawks' Anthony Bradford, Drake Thomas Awarded Huge Bonuses

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Mar 16, 2026 3:45 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks had two players among the top 25 NFL players in performance-based pay for the 2025 season, awarding them huge bonuses at the back-end of a Super Bowl-winning season, per The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar.

Former undrafted free agent linebacker Drake Thomas (23rd) and 2023 fourth-round right guard Anthony Bradford (16th) each earned a fairly large slice of the $542 million distributed to NFL players under the current CBA-negotiated performance-based pay system.

The name is somewhat misleading, as the formula is based on snaps played and the player's salary rather than subjective performance on the field. It's a system that rewards those who played big roles for their teams while making low-end salaries.

Thomas and Bradford both earned a base salary of $1.03 million in 2025.

Bradford and Thomas earn performance-based bonuses

Anthony Bradford: $1,098,394

Drake Thomas: $1,022,512

#Seahawks RG Anthony Bradford and LB Drake Thomas were among the top 25 in performance-based pay for 2025. The methodology for the pay distributions is here. pic.twitter.com/ADuJQbzwPD
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) March 16, 2026

Bradford has been heavily criticized since being drafted, but the Seahawks haven't replaced him. His snaps on offense have increased every season, going from 76% as a rookie to 78% in 2024 and 98% in 2025.

The former LSU standout was on pace to start all 17 games in 2024 before being placed on injured reserve with a foot injury, but he did start every game for the Seahawks this past campaign. Bradford's hefty workload led to one of the biggest bonuses in the league.

Thomas was one of the biggest revelations for the Seahawks in 2025, succeeding Tyrice Knight as a starting inside linebacker next to Ernest Jones IV. He easily could've been a Pro Bowler, totaling 96 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, eight pass deflections and an interception during the regular season (14 starts).

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In the playoffs, Thomas started all three games and finished with 18 tackles and a tackle for loss. He was on the field for 68% of the Seahawks' defensive snaps after entering the season with just 41 total snaps in his first two seasons in the league.

Bradford is still under contract through 2026, but Thomas was set to become a restricted free agent before signing a new two-year, $8 million deal with the Seahawks.

Thomas has likely locked down his starting spot in Seattle moving forward, while Bradford is likely to have competition for his job each season he's still on the team. But he was rarely off the field in 2025, making the bonus well deserved.

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This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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