Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver currently has already tied his career-high with five sacks through the the first nine weeks of the season. Why is that significant?
Well, Oliver has an incentive built into his contract that states if he hits eight sacks this year, he gets a $500,000 bonus. Oliver knows this, and he is intent on making it happen.
“I’ve got five sacks, I need three more to hit the incentive, so that’s the only thing on my mind, and then everything after that is extra on top,” Oliver said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “Anything past that is just good money, but that’s just where my head space is at to affect every game and cause havoc.”
But Oliver didn’t stop there: he also wants to help teammate Von Miller get to the quarterback, as well.
“One of my main goals is get Von on the board, get guys on the board along with myself, give guys layups,” he said. “If it’s not me getting the sack, just causing havoc and creating team success. Trying to get him on the board, get everybody around me on the board. Big plays just fall in when everybody is doing their jobs.”
Oliver, who played his collegiate football at the University of Houston, was selected by the Bills with the ninth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
While the 25-year-old hasn’t really lived up to his lofty draft position, he has been a steady presence along Buffalo’s defensive front since entering the league.
He registered 43 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble during his rookie campaign, which remains his most productive season to date. The good news is that he is on pace to have the best year of his career in this season.
The Bills are 5-4 and have been one of the most frustrating teams in the NFL this season. They sit one game behind the Miami Dolphins for first place in the AFC East.
Buffalo will take on the Denver Broncos on Monday night.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
