Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett needs one sack Sunday against the New Orleans Saints to position himself to cash in on a $1 million incentive, a league source told ESPN.
Barrett, who leads the NFL with nine sacks through just four games, has a $1 million incentive for 10 sacks, which he now is on the verge of doing. Barrett also must reach a specific but modest play-time threshold to cash in on the incentive, according to the source, but that is considered a formality.
Barrett, 26, already has set a career high in sacks for a season. His previous high was 5.5, set in 2015 as a member of the Denver Broncos.
Barrett is on pace to set the NFL's single-season sack record and should he do it, he will boost his value for the offseason, when he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Michael Strahan holds the single-season sack record after recording 22.5 in 2001.
Barrett signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay this past March with a season like this in mind. Now he is about to cash in, in the short and long term.