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          Dallas Cowboys

          Andy Dalton to earn $1 million if Dallas Cowboys reach playoffs

          • Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterDec 28, 2020, 08:36 AM ET
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              Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
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          FRISCO, Texas -- Sunday’s season finale could be a profitable one for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton.

          If he can lead the Cowboys to a win against the New York Giants in Week 17 and the Washington Football Team loses to the Philadelphia Eagles, Dalton will earn a $1 million incentive as part of the one-year deal he signed last spring.

          In order to collect, Dalton has to play in 50% of the offensive snaps for the season and help the Cowboys to the postseason.

          After playing in every snap in Sunday’s win against the Eagles, Dalton has played in 50.3% of the Cowboys’ offensive snaps this season. Having started eight games in place of Dak Prescott, who had not missed a game in his first four years, and appearing in two other contests, Dalton has seen action in 533 of 1,059 snaps.

          Few would have seen this being possible after the Cowboys dropped to 3-9 after their Dec. 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but the rest of the NFC East has struggled.

          Dalton’s deal is $3 million guaranteed, including a $1 million signing bonus and $2 million base salary, and is worth up to $7 million.

          To collect the full $7 million, he would have to play in at least 50% of the playoff snaps and direct the Cowboys to wins in the first round ($500,000), second round ($500,000), NFC Championship Game ($750,000) and Super Bowl ($1.25 million).

          Dalton is coming off his best game as a Cowboy in their win against the Eagles. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 377 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. For the season, he has thrown for 1,926 yards on 187 of 286 passes with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions.