Solomon Thomas stands to make some extra money with the Jets if he steps up his production.
The defensive lineman, who signed a one-year deal with Gang Green, can earn $340,000 in per-game roster bonuses and $1.5 million in performance incentives, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes. Thomas’ deal came with a $1.434 million base salary and a $476,000 signing bonus.
His cap hit is $2.25 million.
It makes sense for Thomas and the Jets to sign a deal that includes a sizeable incentive package. Thomas has not been all that impactful since the 49ers drafted him third overall in 2017, something he’s aware of. The 26-year-old has just 9.5 sacks in 65 career games.
However, a career-high 3.5 of those sacks came last year, Thomas’ only season with the Raiders, and the Jets are always looking for rotational defensive line depth. Thomas, meanwhile, knows New York’s defense well from his time with Robert Saleh in San Francisco.
That makes this deal a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Jets as Thomas looks to realize his potential.