Just like he did last season with the Atlanta Falcons, defensive tackle Dontari Poe has some rather huge weight bonuses weaved into his new contract with the Carolina Panthers. Poe signed a monster deal with the Panthers in free agency to replace Star Lotulelei.
As part of this new contract, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports there are some significant bonuses for meeting weight requirements.
Dontari Poe has $500K weight bonus through four separate weigh-ins each year as part of $600K workout bonus 2018, $900K workout bonus 2019-2020
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 19, 2018
At this point it’s unknown exactly what weight Poe needs to meet when it’s time to step on the scale. He’s a huge man, even when he’s in terrific shape, having shown up to the combine before he was drafted at 6-foot-4 and 346 pounds.
Last year Poe had a big impact for Atlanta, tallying 39 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His numbers don’t tell the whole story, however, as Poe’s job is oftentimes to absorb double teams so that linebackers can attack the football. This fits what Carolina does to perfection, so if he’s healthy and motivated to play his best he could have a significant impact on the team’s defense in 2018.