No member of the Miami Dolphins — and very few active NFL players, period — outperformed their contract in 2023 more than Kader Kohou.
The third-year cornerback learned recently that he’s due an additional $878,167 in performance-based pay from 2023, which is the fifth-most handed out in such bonuses this cycle.
Miami Dolphins CB Kader Kohou Performance-Based Pay
That sum is roughly $140,000 more than what the NFL awarded San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the former Mr. Irrelevant who led his team to the Super Bowl and was selected to the Pro Bowl in his second NFL season.
Kohou’s bonus is on top of the $870,000 in base salary he earned in 2023 in Year 2 of his rookie contract. And it’s only $100,000 less than what he’s set to earn in base salary in 2024.
The NFL determines performance-based pay not by interceptions and touchdowns, but by playing time.
Kohou, in 2023, ranked first on the Dolphins in defensive snaps (938) and logged an additional 43 on special teams.
While the exact formula is a bit tough to explain, the important thing to understand is that the higher a player’s playing time is compared to his compensation, the more money the league will dole out on the back end.
Because he almost never came off the field in 2023, Kohou got a chunk of the $393.8 million in performance-based pay the NFL handed out this year.
Injuries forced the Dolphins to use Kohou more than they expected in 2023, and he’ll have increased competition for playing time in 2024 with the addition of Kendall Fuller and the expected improvement of Cam Smith.
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The No. 1 earner of PBP in 2023 was then-Ravens guard John Simpson ($974,613), who this offseason signed a two-year, $18 million deal with the New York Jets.
Eagles safety Reed Blankenship ($923,059), Bills tackle Spencer Brown ($912,723), and Bengals guard Cordell Volson ($905,972) were also in the top five in PBP earners.
