Matt Schaub could make $3 million for two games’ work

Matt Schaub. Football is a brutal, unforgiving, unsympathetic sport with no mercy and no regard for players beyond their immediate use value, but if you’re able to hang onto the carousel, it can be a lucrative little ride.

Matt Schaub has played in two games for the Baltimore Ravens this season, starting in the absence of injured starter Joe Flacco. Schaub completed 65 percent of his passes, throwing three touchdowns and four interceptions for a Quarterback Rating of, uh, 34.3. For that, he was paid $2 million this year, and now it appears that he might make another $1 million without taking another snap this year.

Not bad work if you can get it, right?

[Yahoo Daily Fantasy: $10 could win you $25K in our $250K contest for Week 16]

Here’s how it shakes out: as noted by the Baltimore Sun, Schaub’s contract pays him an extra $500,000 if he plays 5 percent of the team’s total snaps, and another $500,000 if he plays 10 percent of the Raven’s snaps. Per Pro Football Focus, the Ravens have played 994 offensive snaps in their 14 games to date. In two games against the Dolphins and Browns, Schaub played 140 snaps, just over 14 percent of the team’s total.

Solid performance, but given the Ravens have signed both Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Mallett, it’s unlikely Schaub will see the field again this year. Even so, he ought to be able to stay above the 10-percent mark. If the Ravens play to their average of 71 snaps per game, they’ll have 1,136 snaps on the year, and Schaub will stand at 12.3 percent. The Ravens would have to run more than 200 snaps per game for Schaub to drop below the 10 percent mark.

So, yeah … looks like Schaub will have some extra Christmas spending money coming his way soon.

PODCAST: Who are the NFL’s greatest villains?: