HONOLULU -- As NFL salaries have skyrocketed through the years, so has the payoff for earning a spot in the Pro Bowl.

Besides their travel to Hawaii, stay at a luxury oceanside resort and a generous per diem, players often have incentives in their contracts that gives hefty bonuses for making the all-star game. Each winning player also takes home $30,000, while the loser earns $15,000 apiece.

While it may seem like lunch money to multimillionaire athletes, the players say it still adds plenty of incentive to win.

"Fifteen-thousand is $15,000,'' New Orleans special teams player Fred McAfee said. "I don't care if you're a housewife or a CEO of a large company, $15,000 is $15,000.''

The prize money, which is part of the players' collective bargaining agreement, has steadily increased since 1971, when the winner's share was $2,000 and losers each earned $1,500. It has gone up every few years except between 1983-1993, when the winners received $10,000. The winner's share has remained at $30,000 since 2001.

Chicago center Olin Kreutz said he expects the first half of Sunday's game to be fun, but the intensity should pick up in the second half when the game and the money are on the line.

"There's a $15,000 difference, winners and losers, so I'm sure toward the end of the game, it'll get pretty serious,'' said Kreutz, making his second straight appearance.

Others discount the paycheck, saying the Pro Bowl experience and honor are priceless.

"A lot of guys say, 'We have to go out and win this money,' but for me it's just going out here, having fun and playing with some of the guys on other teams and building a bond,'' Minnesota running back Michael Bennett said.

"I don't think about the money,'' he said. "All these guys here make a lot of money, so whatever the amount is for winning or losing, doesn't make a big difference.''

San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia said the money is nice, but not the main motivator for him.

"You get a little bragging rights,'' he said. "The money never hurts, but it's more than just the money. The last two seasons, the AFC has beat the NFC, and we want to turn that around. We don't want to continue to go in our losing ways. We need to start winning and hopefully it will start this weekend.''

However, all-pro Philadelphia safety Brian Dawkins disagrees.

"You get a bigger check for winning, that's the bottom line,'' he said. "You want to bring a little more money home so you can pay for some of these expenses that you're racking up over here.''