Ronnie Hickman had a breakout season for the Cleveland Browns in 2025, and he is set to cash in on that this offseason. Not only is he due a substantial raise as a restricted free agent, but he already has a lot more money in his pocket.
The NFL has established a Performance Based-Pay Program, which is designed to better compensate players based on their playing time and salary levels. Simply put, the higher the snap percentage and the lower the salary, the bigger the bonus.
Hickman, who is an undrafted player on his first NFL contract, secured a major payday of almost $1.3 million for his 2025 performance, which was second-most in the entire league.
“Browns safety Ronnie Hickman received the second-highest bonus from the NFL’s Performance-Based Pay program. Hickman gets an extra $1.29 million. Bears CB Nashon Wright’s $1.44 million bonus was the largest,” Andrew Siciliano posted on X.
Browns safety Ronnie Hickman received the second-highest bonus from the NFL's Performance-Based Pay program.
Hickman gets an extra $1.29 million. Bears CB Nashon Wright's $1.44 million bonus was the largest.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) March 16, 2026
Hickman earned a base salary of just over $1 million in 2025, which was the final season of his three-year deal. He started all 17 games for the Browns and played 99 percent of the defensive snaps and 32 percent of the snaps on special teams.
The 24-year-old made 103 combined tackles with seven passes defended and two interceptions. He had made 70 tackles in 24 games (nine starts) in his first two NFL seasons combined.
Hickman is one of a record 25 players who earned a bonus of more than $1 million for this past season, as more than $500 million was paid out to players. These payments are especially advantageous for a team like the Browns, because the amount does not count against the salary cap.
Coming off an excellent campaign, the Browns obviously did not want to lose Hickman on the open market. That is why they attached a second-round tender to him as a restricted free agent.
The move guarantees him a salary of $5.8 million with Cleveland for the 2026 season. If he were to receive an offer from another team, the Browns would be able to match it. If they choose not to, they would receive a second-round draft pick from the team he winds up with.
If Hickman continues his upward trajectory, he could be a relative steal for Cleveland at that price, with an even more lucrative contract likely in the future.
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