Vikings tackle Riley Reiff earns $1 million bonus, closes in on another $1 million

Vikings left tackle Riley Reiff assured himself Friday of earning at least a $1 million bonus this season. And he could pick up another $1 million next weekend.

Reiff entered Friday’s game at New Orleans having played all 938 offensive snaps for the Vikings this season. When he agreed to restructure his contract before the season, it included a clause in which he would earn a $1 million bonus if he played in 86 percent of the team’s plays this season. By playing in all 27 first-half snaps against the Saints, Reiff reached that threshold.

His contract calls him to receive another $1 million, for a total of $2 million, if he plays in at least 93.75 percent of the team’s plays this season. If he plays in the Jan. 3 finale at Detroit, he would be in position to secure that bonus early in the game.

Before the season, Reiff was informed he would be released if he did not take a $5 million pay cut from his $10.9 million base salary, and he agreed to the cut. However, he is about to get $2 million of that back.

Whether it’s a $1 million or $2 million bonus Reiff earns, it will count against next year’s salary cap because it was called an unlikely bonus. That’s because Reiff played 85.5 percent of the team’s plays last season, with that being less than 86 percent.

Reiff likely would need to restructure his contract to return next season. In the final year of his contract, he is on the books for a nonguaranteed base salary of $6.65 million but would get a $5 million roster bonus if he is still on the roster shortly after the start of the NFL’s new year in March.

That roster bonus provision was put in during his renegotiation before this season to force the Vikings to make a decision on Reiff much earlier in 2021. If they pick up the $5 million roster bonus, Reiff would be in line in 2021 to make that amount, the $6.65 million and a $100,000 workout bonus for a total of $11.75 million. It seems unlikely he will brought back for that salary by the Vikings, who have salary-cap issues.