Mike Onwenu’s wallet got a bit fatter this week.
The NFL on Friday announced its performance-based pay distributions for the 2022 season, and Onwenu was one of the biggest beneficiaries.
The New England Patriots right guard received a performance-based bonus of $813,083 from the league. That was the fourth-highest payout of any player, and it nearly doubled Onwenu’s 2022 salary of $895,000.
The performance-based pay system aims to compensate players with high snap counts and comparatively low salaries. Onwenu played 1,046 offensive snaps in his third pro season (99.43%) and was the Patriots’ best offensive lineman.
Onwenu was the only Patriots player who ranked in the top 25 in performance-based bonus value.
An even larger payday could be forthcoming for the 25-year-old Michigan product. Onwenu is eligible for a contract extension this offseason as he prepares to enter the final year of his rookie deal, as are fellow 2019 draftees Kyle Dugger and Josh Uche.
We’ll see if the Patriots plan to be proactive and lock up any of those young standouts before the 2023 season kicks off.
