Contract Incentives on the Line for Raiders vs. Chiefs

The Raiders' Week 18 matchup with the Chiefs might seem meaningless on the surface, but there are some players with plenty of reasons to perform.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) celebrates with wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Neither the Las Vegas Raiders nor the Kansas City Chiefs are competing for a postseason bid. They aren't jostling for playoff position, either. The only meaningful impact their Week 18 matchup will have on the standings is in determining the 2026 NFL Draft order.

With their loss to the New York Giants in their last game, the Raiders are in the driver's seat to land the first-overall pick. All they have to do is drop their final outing of the season versus the Chiefs to ensure that they come away with that premium asset.

The Chiefs have plenty at stake in the draft as well. A loss could allow them to move up to eighth, while a victory against the Raiders could drop them as low as 12th. Someone has to win this game, though, and there are some contract incentives on the line that might have one team playing much harder than the other.

Chiefs won't be taking it easy on the Raiders

Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (5) makes a reception defended by Las Vegas Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn (11) during the third quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Marquise Brown - 102 receiving yards & one touchdown

There's been some speculation that the Las Vegas Raiders shut Maxx Crosby down against his wishes to prevent the EDGE rusher from reaching his contract incentives. However, there's no evidence to suggest that he has any benchmarks at stake.

It seems to be a purely tank-motivated move to bench him for the final two games of the season, which is morally questionable in its own right. It doesn't appear that Las Vegas has any players with incentives at stake for Week 18's season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.

They could be extra motivated to clamp down on Marquise Brown, though, as he'll be looking to have an exceptional day versus the Raiders. According to Over The Cap, he needs 102 receiving yards to meet his 625-yard mark that would earn him an extra $125,000. One receiving touchdown would give him six on the season for another $250,000, while two scores to get to seven would double that payout.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) carries the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Kareem Hunt - 31 rushing yards

It would take quite a feat for Marquise Brown to clear all of his required benchmarks, hence why it would earn him over $600K. Kareem Hunt has a much more manageable game script to follow, but a proportionately smaller potential earning in Week 18. He needs just 31 yards on the ground to hit 750 on the season for the Chiefs. Hitting that will make him an extra $25,000.

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