Ravens’ outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney marked a significant achievement on Saturday, celebrating a $750,000 incentive with a memorable sack dance during the first half of their 17-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game played in challenging conditions with a windy downpour at M&T Bank Stadium, saw Clowney secure a pivotal sack against quarterback Mason Rudolph. This sack not only met the much-anticipated nine-sack milestone for the season but also boosted his bonus from $1 million to an impressive $1.75 million.
In the aftermath of this achievement, Clowney’s exuberant celebration unfolded for over 30 seconds between plays. Ravens nose tackle Michael Pierce remarked on the prolonged jubilation, stating, “He’s been talking about that [incentive] for the past two weeks. That was a very long celebration. That might have been a record for the longest celebration.”
Jadeveon Clowney, aged 30, has emerged as one of the standout signings of the season for the Ravens. As the first overall pick in the 2014 draft, he joined Baltimore on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. His exceptional performance, culminating in 9.5 sacks this season (matching a career-high), nearly doubled his base salary and signing bonus.
The road to this financial milestone included a significant moment on November 26 when Clowney secured a $1 million incentive by surpassing seven sacks. Despite a dry spell with only one sack over the subsequent four games, Clowney’s season finale featured a crucial play. With 31 seconds left in the second quarter, he forced Mason Rudolph to fumble, a play ultimately ruled as a sack.
Reflecting on the moment, Clowney shared, “I didn’t know I had a sack, and then they told me. I was like, ‘Oh yeah,’ and you just start turning it up right now. I had a good time on that.” When asked about his plans for the extra money, Clowney expressed a practical approach, stating, “I will put it with the rest of my money — under the mattress, in the bank. I have three kids. I got to continue to take care of them. Football’s going to be over one day.”
In contrast to Clowney’s success, Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor fell 19 yards short of reaching his incentive. Needing 58 yards receiving to trigger a $250,000 bonus for reaching 400 yards, he concluded the game with five catches for 39 yards.
