Frank Clark has been an enigmatic part of the Kansas City Chiefs defense during the regular season but always seems to find an extra gear in the playoffs. He managed to bring down Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last week in the Chiefs’ first playoff win of the postseason and will need to find his way into the Cincinnati Bengals’ backfield with regularity to lift Kansas City to another Super Bowl berth.
With a sack of Joe Burrow in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, Clark could improve his position on the NFL’s all-time playoff sack leaderboard. He would pass both Reggie White, who he’s currently tied with, and one-time Chiefs player Terrell Suggs, who has a half-sack advantage over Clark heading into the matchup.
It is also worth noting that Clark has incentives in his contract that would pay him a hefty sum if the Chiefs manage to pull out a win on Sunday. CBS Sports salary cap wizard Joel Corry has the details:
Chiefs edge rusher Frank Clark earns a $500,000 incentive with an AFC Championship Game win where he takes a minimum of 50% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps. The bonus is also contingent on at least 60% defensive playtime in the regular season. Clark had 62.42%.
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) January 29, 2023
As if the prospect of a Super Bowl berth wasn’t enough reason to play hard, the amount of pride and money on the line should provide Clark plenty of motivation to be a game-wrecker on Kansas City’s defensive line. Against a Bengals offense whose only weakness is their ailing offensive front, the veteran pass rusher seems primed to do something special.
