10 February 2024 , 02:00
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When the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers face off in Super Bowl LVIII, only one team will take home the Lombardi Trophy. But even the losing team will get a bonus for making it to the big game.
The NFL's agreement with the Players' Association means that players on the winning team will each pocket an extra £130,000 for playing in the Super Bowl. Even the players on the losing side will still earn around £70,000 each.
Players are set to receive their Super Bowl bonus pay within 15 days of the match. Chiefs and 49ers players don't even have to play a single snap to be eligible for the sum, but there are some exceptions.
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Veteran stars who got injured during the regular season and were taken off the team's active or inactive list will still get their full bonus if they're under contract when the Super Bowl is played. However, if a player has been on the team's roster for less than three games before the Super Bowl, they'll only get half the full amount.
Players who get injured during the regular season and are dropped from the team's active and inactive lists could also get a quarter or half of the full bonus. This depends on things like how many games they played, their contract status, and more.
The Super Bowl bonus sum will grow each year in accordance with the agreement. For example, the Chiefs took home £157,000 each for their Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Los Angeles Rams claimed £150,000 each for their win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are chasing a third Super Bowl success in five seasons (Getty Images)By the 2030-31 season - the last season covered in the most recent collective bargaining agreement - the Super Bowl champions will each claim an extra £228,000 via the bonus payment. The eye-watering sums are not the only bonuses received, as each round provides a financial incentive to advance to the Super Bowl.
In the Wild Card Round, teams that won a division but played in this round earned £46,500, while those that earned a first-round bye received £41,500. Franchises in the Divisional Round received £46,500, and those that advanced to the Conference Championship received an extra £69,000.
Naturally, the Super Bowl winners also receive a near priceless ring; 150 rings are generally made, with 53 given to players, then coaches, executives, and others at a total cost of $5 million. This makes each worth about £36,000.
The Chiefs will face the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV - where Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City to an epic 31-20 victory - on Sunday, Feb. 11.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.