Rico Dowdle and the Carolina Panthers have everything to play for in Week 18.
If they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, the Panthers will have clinched the NFC South Division title and the home playoff game that comes with it.
Dowdle has one other thing to play for, too: $1 million.
In his contract signed with the Panthers in the offseason, Dowdle had an incentive built in that would pay him $1 million if he reached 1,350 scrimmage yards.
Did that seem a likely outcome at the time? Not really. The Panthers were signing Dowdle to be the backup to Chuba Hubbard.
But an early Hubbard injury led to consecutive games in which Dowdle surpassed 200 yards from scrimmage, and he's been a difference maker ever since even with Hubbard regaining some of his chances in the backfield, too.
MORE: Philip Rivers is retiring from the NFL, again
This weekend, Dowdle enters with 1,343 yards from scrimmage. That's right, he needs just seven yards, either rushing or receiving, to cash a $1 million payday.
NFL.com even shares that Dowdle has gotten at least seven yards from scrimmage on the Panthers' opening drive in seven of their last eight games.
Most likely, Dowdle will get this simple task out of the way early and know he's got some extra cash bound for his bank account.
From there, the Panthers will be able to concern themselves with the task at hand: Win and into the playoffs.
More NFL news:
- Drake Maye has one issue that could stop Patriots from winning Super Bowl
- Micah Parsons' injury has crushed the Packers in a very specific way
- Jalen Hurts has a big problem, and it's not what it used to be
- Puka Nacua made the best non-catch you've ever seen
- Pope Leo XIV gives the Seahawks a good omen
- This viral Josh Allen highlight from Wyoming is crazy