As we head into the playoffs, playoff pay is on the minds of many NFL players. Thanks to a post-season pay schedule negotiated in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, players can earn money over and above anything that they could have negotiated in their individual player contracts.

Post-season pay offers a way for players to earn a significant amount of extra money, said NFLPA Associate General Counsel Tom DePaso. Its in addition to any incentive bonus money a player may have negotiated into his contract with his club for making the playoffs. And for those players whose clubs make it to the conference championship games or the Super Bowl, they may not even have to be on the roster at the time of the game to receive a paycheck.

Heres how playoff pay is calculated: In the first two roundswild card and divisional playoffsplayers who are on the active, inactive or injured reserve list at the time of the game will be paid the full amount (see below).

For players who are on (or who have been on) teams that are fortunate enough to advance to conference championships or the Super Bowl, the payout is either the full amount (listed below) or a partial amount depending on their status.

For example, said DePaso, if a player left the team halfway through the season, he may still be entitled to a percentage of the pay for that game. The percentage paid depends on several factors, including the number of games the player played with the club. DePaso advises any player who thinks he may be owed championship game or Super Bowl money to check the CBA or call the NFLPA legal department. The CBA says players should be paid within 15 days after the game in question has been played.

A player who qualifies will receive the following amounts for each post-season game played after the 2008 season:

Wild Card (Division Winner): $20,000
Wild Card (Other): $18,000
Divisional Playoffs : $20,000
Conference Championship : $37,500
Super Bowl (Winner): $78,000
Super Bowl (Loser): $40,000