A few years ago, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to extend rookie contracts from three to four years, allowing teams to retain a player's rights for an extra season. As a compromise for extending the time before a player can reach free agency, both sides established a performance-based escalator system that would financially reward fourth-year players who were key contributors during their rookie contracts.
For the Detroit Lions, that means the players from their 2018 draft class could receive increases to their fourth-year base salaries if they meet the requirements.
Here’s how it works.