Word spread quickly on Wednesday about Atlanta Falcons nickelback Brian Poole getting a nice bonus.
Poole, an undrafted rookie out of Florida last season, led the entire league with $371,973.11 in performance-based pay. He topped Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, who received $353,544.47.
Falcons wide receiver Taylor Gabriel playfully nudged Poole via Twitter and got a hilarious response:
@JustPooleN_It 🤔🤔🤔 u owe me 100
— Taylor Gabriel (@TGdadon1) March 15, 2017
lol I ain't got it! https://t.co/u5kjlVhpuh
— Brian Poole (@JustPooleN_It) March 15, 2017
Poole certainly earned it. He played in all 16 regular-season games and recorded 58 tackles, eight pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, an interception, and a sack. He also played in all three postseason games and had 15 tackles, two quarterbacks hits, and a tackle for loss.
The performance-based pay system usually benefits players in their first NFL contracts, or minimum-salaried free-agent signings who become significant contributors.
For those wondering, Poole made $453,500 during his first season, with a base salary of $450,000. Starting free safety Ricardo Allen was second on the team in performance-based pay at $342,712.65.
Here are the top 10 for the Falcons, with rookies being four of the top six:
