The Pro Bowl has seen a ton of changes made to its format over the years. One thing that has remained steadfast, though, is that each player gets a cash prize, win or lose, for participation. The winners receive double, incentivizing players to go for it all. Which is why when Derek Carr clutched up for his team in 2018, it got everyone pumped, from the AFC players to the coaches.
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Winning the NFL Pro Bowl today gives each player on the team $92k. It’s a nice chunk of change that nobody would say no to. Not even NFL players and coaches, who are already millionaires. The losing side still receives $46k, but everyone usually has their eyes on the grand prize.
Back then, though, the prize money for the winners was $64k, while the losers would take home $32k. Regardless, when Carr was selected to his third Pro Bowl that year, his coach, Mike Tomlin, made it very clear what the objective was: money.
“Every day, the team meeting was this: ‘Guys, I genuinely don’t care about anything else except winning the game. So we can get that extra money.’ And then he’d walk out,” Carr revealed on his podcast, Home Grown.
He later shared that Tomlin did this two or three more times before the game, expressing that he just wanted to win so he could get that money. Now, Tomlin is already known for doing whatever it takes to win, no matter the circumstances. But give him the chance of winning money alongside the game, and one would have a hard time getting him to tone down his efforts.
During the contest, Carr and Tomlin found themselves down 20-3 at the half. Capped off by a Ben Roethlisberger pick-six and another Alex Smith interception. Smith made up for it with a TD pass to start the second half, cutting the lead to 20-10. But then it was Carr’s time to shine.
Carr piloted a 5-play, 53-yard drive to cut the lead to 20-17. Then, after an NFC field goal, both teams traded turnovers until late in the contest. With 3:44 to go, down six, Carr knew it was now or never.
“So, I go out there for a two-minute drive, I hit Jarvis Landry, hit a couple of other completions. Almost get Kareem Hunt decapitated. But it’s the Pro Bowl, so you don’t really know the speed,” Carr shared. “Can I just throw it? Are they really going to hit you? Then it was like, ‘Oh, bro, I am sorry.’”
Even though it was the Pro Bowl, both teams were still going hard. That’s why Tomlin and Carr took a breath and regrouped during the 2-minute warning. They knew they needed to organize a plan of attack.
Coming out of the break, just three plays later, Carr found Delanie Walker for what would be the game-winning TD. Then, he shared a special moment with Tomlin.
“Delanie Walker, we call all go. Like, dude, I’m going to set him up. Boom. Perfect. Threw the game winner. We’re down in there. We’re celebrating. Delanie gives me the ball. We’re about to win this thing. And you know who I turn around and who’s there?” Carr asked. “Mike Tomlin is shaking me. I’m like, ‘I told you we’d get that money!’”
Carr finished the game 11/15, throwing for 115 yards and a touchdown. Walker walked away with the offensive MVP award, snagging two TDs, including the game-winner. Meanwhile, Von Miller got the defensive MVP for the game-sealing strip sack. But the memory was all Carr needed.
All in all, even though the Pro Bowl isn’t taken as seriously as it used to be, there are still cool moments that arise during the game from time to time. That’s why a money incentive has seemingly been the perfect way to get players invested in the game. But with NFL contracts going up each year, one has to wonder how much the prize money will have to continue to go up for star players to keep attending.
Nevertheless, the money was enough to get Carr and Tomlin motivated to play that year, and with it came a magical moment that the QB will never forget. It’s a great example of why players love playing for Tomlin. His passion and motivation to win are unmatched.
