NFL Awards $3.25 Million In Bonuses To Colts Players

Your typical business is struggling to meet payroll these days but not the NFL. It awarded $3.25 million in performanced-based pay to each NFL team, including the Indianapolis Colts reports the Star's Mike Chappell. Here's how the Colts money was divvied up:

Players at the bottom of the pay scale who played extensively receive larger checks.
The largest checks went to guard Charlie Johnson ($201,309), safeties Antoine Bethea ($195,706) and Melvin Bullitt ($186,432) and offensive lineman Jamey Richard ($181,596).

Tight end Gijon Robinson ($158,882), defensive tackle Keyunta Dawson ($158,080), linebackers Clint Session ($134,605) and Freddy Keiaho ($134,203), defensive tackle Eric Foster ($133,877) and cornerback Tim Jennings ($118,984) also received six-figure checks.

"I knew when it came time for them to cut the check, mine would be pretty good because of how much I played," Jennings said. "I played more than a lot of people expected (13 starts) because of injuries to Kelvin (Hayden) and Marlin (Jackson)."

Defensive end Dwight Freeney ($9,828) and safety Bob Sanders ($3,751) picked up a little extra cash, too.

Backup offensive lineman Corey Hilliard received a check for $947.

Chew on that as Colts' owner Jim Irsay says forget it when it comes to the Colts helping defray the extra $20 million in costs for the Lucas Oil Stadium. You get to pay that with higher taxes. God forbid the high-paid players and wealthy team owner be asked to sacrifice anything.