CINCINNATI – Left guard Cordell Volson could find himself in a battle for his starting job depending on whom the Cincinnati Bengals select in the draft.
But whether Volson holds on to his job or loses it, he’s getting a raise.
NFL Program Nets Bengals LB Cordell Volson Nearly $1 Million
The NFL announced its performance-based distributions today, and Volson will be getting a raise of $905,972, which nearly doubles his 2024 base salary of $985,000.
The performance-based pay program has been in place since the passage of the 2002 collective bargaining agreement. A fund is created and used as supplemental compensation based on a comparison of playing time and salary. Typically, the players who benefit the most are those with higher playing time percentages and lower salaries.
A fourth-round pick out of North Dakota State in 2022, Volson started as a rookie and has never missed a snap. He played all 1,107 snaps in 2022 and all 1,088 last year.
That’s why he’s getting the fourth-most money in this year’s performance-based pay program.
Oak Tavern game ball delivery from yours truly 👏@_teddy_k | @c_volson pic.twitter.com/qrXLlRb5bD
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 23, 2023
Players are eligible for the bonus in any season in which they play at least one snap.
Baltimore Ravens guard John Simpson, a fourth-round pick in 2020, leads the way with a bonus distribution of $974,613.
Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, who went undrafted in 2022, is second ($923,059), and Buffalo Bills tackle Spencer Brown, a third-round pick in 2021, is third.
The Bengals were hoping Volson would make a jump in 2023 after his rookie season, but offensive line coach Frank Pollack said it took until December before he started seeing what he had hoped to see earlier.
With Cincinnati expected to draft a tackle with one of its first draft picks, the team figures to have three starting-caliber tackles in 2024, with the rookie joining left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and right tackle Trent Brown, whom the team signed a couple of weeks ago.
If Brown beats out the rookie for the starting RT job, the newcomer could push Volson to play left guard for a year before moving out to tackle after Brown’s one season in Cincinnati is complete.
The performance-based pay program is different from the Proven Performance Escalator system. PPE is based on playing time through a player’s first three seasons and is only for players not drafted in the first round.
Volson is projected to benefit from PPE next season, along with 2022 second-round pick Cam Taylor-Britt and 2022 third-rounder Zach Carter.
The PPE program was part of the 2020 CBA and includes three levels. Level 1 PPE is earned if a player plays in a certain percentage of the team’s snaps in two of his first three years or averages that required percentage over the first three years. For second-round picks, it’s 60%. For third- through seventh-round picks, it’s 35%.
Level 2 PPE is earned if a player plays at least 55% of the team’s offensive or defensive snaps in all of his first three seasons.
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Level 3 PPE kicks in if a player is selected to a Pro Bowl (original ballot only) in any of his first three seasons.
There are no Bengals from the 2021 draft class slated for PPE bonuses in 2024.
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