Marcus Sherels misses out on huge bonus with Minnesota Vikings
A lot was riding on the line for Minnesota Vikings punt returner Marcus Sherels to lead the league in average returns, but he missed out at the last moment.
The contracts of NFL players can be very complicated. With guarantee dates, bonuses, escalators, options, and other aspects of deals, players can make a lot of money by performing well during a season. That was the case for punt returner Marcus Sherels of the Minnesota Vikings.
If Sherels could lead the league in punt return average, he would have earned a hefty $100,000 bonus. This was part of his deal with the Vikings, and it appeared as though he would get that money after the team’s week 17 game.
However, a game later in the day made a big difference. Kansas City Chiefs return specialist Tyreek Hill had a huge 95-yard punt return touchdown that moved him past Sherels to become the leader in yards per punt return.
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Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports wrote about the situation with Marcus Sherels and his bonus, discussing the heartbreak he must have felt watching his big bonus disappear before his eyes.
“Every year there are NFL players who just miss out on performance incentives. But few miss out in as painful a fashion as Sherels, watching helplessly as another player’s highlight play costs him big money.”
He also missed out on a Pro Bowl nod as specialist in favor on teammate Cordarrelle Patterson, despite there not being kickoff returns in the actual Pro Bowl game, another instance which is frustrating for fans following Sherels.
Hopefully, this situation doesn’t frustrate Sherels. The Minnesota Vikings saw just how important he is the punt return game during his absence from the team due to injury, and odds are that he can make another run at the bonus next season.