The new NFL superstar career

[FuzzyLumpkins]

'Twas a time when NFL players were about playing until they couldn't play anymore. Rack enough enough money, stats, and years in the league to plant their flag firmly in the league's history.

Not anymore. Today, the typical NFL career consists of two parts.

First, get drafted as highly as possible and play their tails off to create as much value and leverage as they can. Then, get that first massive payday, and BOOM, they're set for life already. Just play out that string in virtual cruise control until the bonus is covered, and it's off into the sunset.

Doug Baldwin. Joe Thomas. Calvin Johnson. Chris Borland. Even Andrew Luck recently. Rumors are that JJ Watt is about to hang it up. Jaylon Smith seems to already be looking forward to his post-career business interests. It's going viral.

That's the new and increasing goal of a very high percentage of players. Play for 6-7 years, and get out rich and healthy. It's not about success or records or accomplishment anymore. It's about the biggest pile of money as soon as possible, and finding an exit door.

So, should teams start to think twice about these big contracts? The Rams regret the Gurley deal. The Cardinals are getting little return out of the David Johnson deal. The league is full of heavy contracts that didn't pan out well for teams that wish they had a do-over.

So why pay anybody unless it's a quarterback? If some players are locking it down after they get that big signing bonus, then why owners commit to big contracts going forward?

If this trend continues, it could hurt players in the future. Teams may become much more gun-shy about these types of deals, and choose to just draft and release players at the end of their rookie deals as a policy. That means less money for players after that initial deal if teams are balking at big veteran contracts in the future.

How would Amari Cooper handle a massive pile of money? How will Zeke handle it? Jaylon and Leighton Vander Esch? Will Lawrence play with the same abandon now that he's rolling in dough?

Have these massive contracts killed the drive and desire for players in such a physically taxing game?

The days of the NFL lifers may be coming to an end. Records set by Emmitt, Rice, Strahan.....those are probably safe forever as players choose to play half as long as the greats did.

The new NFL career is upon us.

Rice, Emmitt, and Strahan made tens of millions of dollars over their careers not to mention their endorsements. They weren't Jim Otto torturing his body like it was 50 years ago.

It's also not only about money. It's about their health. I wouldn't want to go through what Seau, Duerson, and Webster did either.

The only contracts you mentioned being regretted are RB. I would add LB to that. The other positions have much better longevity.

 

[INCowboysFan]

He didn't nail anything.

He went in the way-way-back machine when players were making $20,000 a year and had to work all offseason. NFL players made much LESS than most college graduates back then.

The NFL wasn't nearly as popular in those days.

Ditka signed a $12k a year contract (with a $6k) signing bonus as a rookie in 1961. That's the equivalent of $151k in 2019. He didn't HAVE to work a second job all off season. He could have lived very comfortably on $18k in 1961. the average family was bringing in $5700/year, families headed by a college grad were at $9300/year. So Ditka was making almost 4x what the average family was making and 2x what a college grad was making.
https://www2.census.gov/prod2/popscan/p60-039.pdf

 

[zrinkill]

How can people not understand why most careers are shorter ...... Today's football players are bigger and faster than the average player from even the 80's and 90's ..... A guy like Bill Bates, who we all loved, would not even make a team on today's NFL.

 

[Praxit]

..so sad, but in ways true. Football was a game. Now, its almost like a personal business you run with yer agent. The game evolved with media hype, NFL prosperity and the masses feeding into it.

Someone made the mistake of over paying a player, having it blurted out on the megaphone. Now, all players covet that situation. And they will die trying to achieve it.

So, we can fairly say playoffs and super bowls don't carry the weight they use to. The hilarious part, super bowls and playoffs still mean a lot to us, the "Fans".

I find the Zeke BS holdout, well, BS. But, I cant blame him he wants that pie too. So, I'll say good luck and call the next man up. That next man, will probably want some pie as well, eventually. ..lol..

 

[408Cowboy]

I understand the point of why it's happening.

The question is, if you're an owner, why pay contracts of this size if they immediately guarantee players a way out so long as they go through the motions?

Are you better off to replace them with hungry rookies and veterans at lower salaries that still need to earn their way?

Doesn't the CBA require them to spend a certain amount? Would the owners rather pay middling players along with rookies or big name elite talent that keeps the jersey sales flowing? There's always someone to replace them in this draft or the next so who cares? As long as the college's pump talent into the draft does it matter? The more the owners make the higher the salary cap goes the more they have to spend. Why does it matter how they invest the cap? As long as the games are competitive and they make money it's all the same to them.

 

[erod]

Doesn't the CBA require them to spend a certain amount? Would the owners rather pay middling players along with rookies or big name elite talent that keeps the jersey sales flowing? There's always someone to replace them in this draft or the next so who cares? As long as the college's pump talent into the draft does it matter? The more the owners make the higher the salary cap goes the more they have to spend. Why does it matter how they invest the cap? As long as the games are competitive and they make money it's all the same to them.

Yes, but perhaps the Patriots way is best.

Pay lots of guys $5-6 million, but nobody but Brady more than that.

 

[408Cowboy]

Yes, but perhaps the Patriots way is best.

Pay lots of guys $5-6 million, but nobody but Brady more than that.

They've paid people more than that besides Brady.

 

[atlantacowboy]

No question the huge salaries earned by top players combined with the CTE issue is going to keep many NFL record safe for a long time. Pretty sure the fact Luck has already earned 97.1 million in salary alone since 2012 played a huge factor. He doesn't need to earn money and he doesn't love football. Gronk retired for the exact reason.

 

[McKDaddy]

How can people not understand why most careers are shorter ...... Today's football players are bigger and faster than the average player from even the 80's and 90's ..... A guy like Bill Bates, who we all loved, would not even make a team on today's NFL.

Yeah but the game is much less brutal than it was in those days and the equipment, training & medical care is much better.

Contact is contact so you are getting hurt in any era. Back in those days it was still about athletic competition & men didn't admit pain or quit. Now it has become more entertainment & people accept & understand that pain and injuries can be a reason to quit.

Hard to say which scenario is more detrimental to career than the other.

 

[MarcusRock]

I'm as big of a capitalist as you'll find.

However, I like to get what I pay for. Teams are seriously regretting many of these big deals they're handing out, especially to non-quarterbacks.

That would be because you focus on only the negative to generalize making a case and ignoring the positives. Just recently, Deandre Hopkins signed an extension and then put in his best year as a pro. Same for Davante Adams. Same for Stefon Diggs AND Danielle Hunter from the Vikes. Tyler Lockett, the beast Aaron Donald. I could go on.

This is the same thing as putting together the "contract year" fallacy that got created on the basis of generalizing a few negative cases into a global occurrence.The guys I listed above all just signed contract extensions and then put in their best years as a pro.

Contracts are risks for both parties. A team will never always "get what they pay for." Players are signed on the basis of current or forcasted production. Just like with fan dreams of a player developing into a beast based on year 1 production, no one ever counts on a player regressing but it does happen, and sometimes for reasons other than half-azzing it or because they "got paid" and then take less risks.

 

[TWOK11]

5-7 years wasn't the average for above average starters. Go back to those early 90s teams and look how long the starters played. It was much longer than that.

Barry Sanders retired early, but he still played 10 years.

In 100 years of NFL football, just over 1000 players have played more than 8 years in the NFL. The average career lasts 3.2 years, and that’s only including players who spent at least one full season on a roster.

Even if you include just players who made at least one pro bowl, the average career is only 5.1 years.

 

[Reid1boys]

most of the players initially named had sustained many injuries over their careers. by the time they're 40, certain body joints are 60. Charlie waters used to talk about how he would just fall down sometimes due to knee problems. this isn't just about money, it's about the physical pounding these guys take year after year.

I have a little sympathy for the old timers. They didnt know exactly what was gonna happen to them in their 60s. These guys today... they know the risks. I have no sympathy for them at all. They take the risks because they want the millions they can make from the NFL that they will never make working elsewhere. So dont complain about your aching body in ten years from now. Thats like smoking cigarettes and then being pissed when you get lung cancer.

 

[sean10mm]

It's always weird how everybody judges all players based on what a handful of stars make. The median NFL salary is $860,000/year, which looks great until you realize most guys make that a couple of seasons at best and are back on the job market like everybody else. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not THE GUY MADE $100 MILLION AND THEN CRIED ABOUT IT stuff people are crying about here either.

And I guess I'm not such a sadist that I don't feel bad if a guy is crippled because he made some money. There are lots of dangerous jobs, I don't look at a guy who got messed up in an oil well fire or whatever and go WELL FIRE IS HOT SO YOU HAD IT COMING DIDN'T YA? Junior Seau made a lot of money for all the good it did him in the end.

 

[Jake]

So, should teams start to think twice about these big contracts? The Rams regret the Gurley deal. The Cardinals are getting little return out of the David Johnson deal. The league is full of heavy contracts that didn't pan out well for teams that wish they had a do-over.

So why pay anybody unless it's a quarterback? If some players are locking it down after they get that big signing bonus, then why owners commit to big contracts going forward?

For starters, the CBA requires 47% of revenues be devoted to player contracts and the NFL is rolling in billions of dollars. As for Johnson, he's played exactly one season since he got paid. Shame on the Cardinals for putting out a garbage o line, poor QBs, and a coach so bad they canned him after one year. It appears decision-making isn't their strong suit.

It's amazing to watch so many fans feeling personally inconvenienced by players having the audacity to act as individuals, rather than indentured servants whose job it is to entertain the masses regardless of their long term-health. How dare these players think about their futures beyond the day fans forget about them and move on to the next guy?

 

[erod]

In 100 years of NFL football, just over 1000 players have played more than 8 years in the NFL. The average career lasts 3.2 years, and that’s only including players who spent at least one full season on a roster.

Even if you include just players who made at least one pro bowl, the average career is only 5.1 years.

Are we seriously looking at 1938 when players made less than lumberjacks?

Football used to be a minimally paid hobby.

 

[erod]

For starters, the CBA requires 47% of revenues be devoted to player contracts and the NFL is rolling in billions of dollars. As for Johnson, he's played exactly one season since he got paid. Shame on the Cardinals for putting out a garbage o line, poor QBs, and a coach so bad they canned him after one year. It appears decision-making isn't their strong suit.

It's amazing to watch so many fans feeling personally inconvenienced by players having the audacity to act as individuals, rather than indentured servants whose job it is to entertain the masses regardless of their long term-health. How dare these players think about their futures beyond the day fans forget about them and move on to the next guy?

As is typical, the point of the thread went entirely above your head. I'm just stating what the new norm is becoming. Play four years, get paid, and find an exit door asap after the terms have been met.

And by the way, 10% of the players make 2/3 of the salary league's total salary cap.

 

[erod]

Rice, Emmitt, and Strahan made tens of millions of dollars over their careers not to mention their endorsements. They weren't Jim Otto torturing his body like it was 50 years ago.

It's also not only about money. It's about their health. I wouldn't want to go through what Seau, Duerson, and Webster did either.

The only contracts you mentioned being regretted are RB. I would add LB to that. The other positions have much better longevity.

Emmitt did because he got to that second big contract after his sixth season. Zeke is about to eclipse Emmitt's career total in a week after playing only three seasons.

The most Walter Payton ever made in a season was $475,000.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Earl Campbell only played 8 seasons and anybody that's met Earl after his playing days would say, he should have retired sooner. Staubach retired in his late 30's, but it wasn't because he couldn't still perform or didn't love the game....... it was the 20 or so concussions that caused him to make the decision.

The players today can look back at the older players and use that as a cautionary tale. At some point, the pounding and pain isn't worth what you and your family will have to endure the rest of your life. Sometimes you have to walk away while you can still walk.

 

[Hadenough]

First off, that $11 million quickly becomes $6 million due to taxes. (Players even have to pay higher taxes for games in New York or California.)

Also, players by nature have to live a more expensive lifestyle. Emmitt can't just live in your random town home in Dallas and find any peace. Life is more expensive.

So, he retires with $5 million tops. I know hundreds and hundreds of everyday people who have that. And Emmit's only 31 with no job.

So that $5 million spread over the next 50 years is $100,000 per year. Property taxes alone on his house are $30 million a year. Better not live in a nice area on that.

Conversely, Zeke is going to make more this one season than Emmitt did his entire career. Zeke should retire with more than $50 million in his account. He's about to be set for life in six days at the age of 24.

Property taxes are 30 mil a year? That couldn't be right. My brother in law pays 42k a year in property taxes and I thought that was high.

 

[Diehardblues]

'Twas a time when NFL players were about playing until they couldn't play anymore. Rack enough enough money, stats, and years in the league to plant their flag firmly in the league's history.

Not anymore. Today, the typical NFL career consists of two parts.

First, get drafted as highly as possible and play their tails off to create as much value and leverage as they can. Then, get that first massive payday, and BOOM, they're set for life already. Just play out that string in virtual cruise control until the bonus is covered, and it's off into the sunset.

Doug Baldwin. Joe Thomas. Calvin Johnson. Chris Borland. Even Andrew Luck recently. Rumors are that JJ Watt is about to hang it up. Jaylon Smith seems to already be looking forward to his post-career business interests. It's going viral.

That's the new and increasing goal of a very high percentage of players. Play for 6-7 years, and get out rich and healthy. It's not about success or records or accomplishment anymore. It's about the biggest pile of money as soon as possible, and finding an exit door.

So, should teams start to think twice about these big contracts? The Rams regret the Gurley deal. The Cardinals are getting little return out of the David Johnson deal. The league is full of heavy contracts that didn't pan out well for teams that wish they had a do-over.

So why pay anybody unless it's a quarterback? If some players are locking it down after they get that big signing bonus, then why owners commit to big contracts going forward?

If this trend continues, it could hurt players in the future. Teams may become much more gun-shy about these types of deals, and choose to just draft and release players at the end of their rookie deals as a policy. That means less money for players after that initial deal if teams are balking at big veteran contracts in the future.

How would Amari Cooper handle a massive pile of money? How will Zeke handle it? Jaylon and Leighton Vander Esch? Will Lawrence play with the same abandon now that he's rolling in dough?

Have these massive contracts killed the drive and desire for players in such a physically taxing game?

The days of the NFL lifers may be coming to an end. Records set by Emmitt, Rice, Strahan.....those are probably safe forever as players choose to play half as long as the greats did.

The new NFL career is upon us.

There’s probably some truth to this with the most Elite players earning the most money. And the threat of injury’s which can be life altering have to be a concern especially if you’ve already made your fortune. I really can’t blame the players.

But this only applies to a small segment. About 80% of the league still earns less than a million a year.

The Salary Cap is also dictating shorter careers as seasoned veterans contracts aren’t a value compared to Rookie contracts.

The good news for the league is that winning isn’t really necessary anymore to generate revenue. In the past winning was everything.