It's no secret that it pays to play in the NFL, but it also pays to play well when you're not among the highest paid at your position.

That is the case for a lot of young players in the NFL who come in and contribute right away, like Sioux Falls native Mason McCormick.

The former Roosevelt Roughrider and SDSU Jackrabbit standout has made himself into quite the name in just two NFL campaigns.

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McCormick has performed well enough to earn a sizeable pay bump from the NFL on the heels of the season.

On Monday, the league released its Performance-Based Pay Distributions, and the South Dakota native made the cut:

NEW YORK -- NFL players will receive more than $542 million in Performance-Based Pay for their performance during the 2025 season, the NFL announced today. The Performance-Based Pay Program is a collectively bargained benefit that compensates all players based upon their playing time and salary levels.

Cornerback Nahshon Wright, who spent last season with the Chicago Bears, earned the highest amount among all NFL players for the 2025 league year Performance-Based Pay Program. His $1,441,397 distribution will more than double his 2025 salary.

According to the article, McCormick was awarded the 8th most in performance-based pay in 2025, picking up $1,173,614 in additional earnings.

Here's another post confirming the news:

McCormick has been steady and solid for the Steelers in just two seasons of work, and appears to be a cornerstone piece along the offensive line for years to come.

Through two seasons, McCormick has started 31 of 34 possible games, has allowed just 6 sacks and been penalized 3 times according to PFF.

While at SDSU, McCormick was a 2-time First Team FCS All American, 2-time First-Team All-MVFC selection, and a-time FCS National Champion. In total, he made 4 All-American Teams and 4 All-MVFC teams over his college career.

Source: Mason McCormick Wikipedia, NFL.com and Rob Demovsky Twitter