Alright, let’s talk about how much them football fellas get after they stop playin’. You know, the ones on TV, runnin’ around in them tight pants.
The Basics of Football Retirement Money
So, it ain’t like a regular job where you get a gold watch and that’s it. These boys, they got a kinda special deal. If they played for a few years, like three or more, they get somethin’ called a pension. That’s like a steady paycheck they get every month after they turn 55. It’s like a thank you for bangin’ their heads together for so long.
Now, how much they get depends on how long they played. The more years they played, the more money they get. It’s like plantin’ seeds, the more you plant, the more you get later on. I heard tell that as of 2023, the average pension was around $43,000 a year. That ain’t bad, huh? But some fellas, the ones who played a long, long time, they can get way more. Heard about that O.J. Simpson fella? Even with all his troubles, he was gettin’ a big ol’ pension, like over a hundred thousand dollars a year, some say even up to three hundred thousand! And he had a five million dollar pension saved up! That’s more money than most folks see in a lifetime.
- Three or more years playing: You get a pension.
- More years playing: You get a bigger pension.
- Average pension (2023): About $43,000 a year.
- Some players: Can get way more, hundreds of thousands!
Other Ways They Make Money
But the pension ain’t the only way these fellas make money after they retire. Some of ’em, they go on TV and talk about football. You know, like them fellas on the news, but they talk about touchdowns and tackles instead of politics and such. They get paid good money for that, I reckon.
And some of ’em, they become coaches. They teach the young fellas how to play, how to run fast and hit hard. That’s a good job, keeps ’em in the game, sorta.
Then you got the fellas who go into somethin’ different altogether. Maybe they open a restaurant, or sell cars, or somethin’. They got names, see? People recognize ’em, so they can use that to make a livin’. And some, well, they just go home and spend time with their families. That’s important too, you know.
Extra Stuff They Get
Now, there’s other little things they get too. Like, if they get inducted into the Hall of Fame, they get this fancy gold jacket. I don’t know if it’s worth any money, but it’s somethin’ special, a mark of honor, they say.
And there’s somethin’ about their image and likeness. Seems like they can still make money off their name and face even after they stop playin’. There was some kinda lawsuit about it, and now they get a piece of the pie, I guess. And they got somethin’ called a “Vision Plan” too, helps ’em see, maybe? These football fellas, they take a beatin’, so I guess they need all the help they can get.
Savings Plans
And they got these savin’s plans too. Kinda like a special piggy bank, but with a whole lot more money. They put money in while they’re playin’, and it grows, so they got somethin’ to fall back on. I heard tell they can have a whole lot saved up, hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s good, cause you never know what tomorrow brings.
So How Much Do They Really Make?
So, how much do they make? Well, it’s hard to say exactly. It’s different for every fella. But between the pension, the TV jobs, the coachin’ gigs, and all the other stuff, they can do pretty good for themselves. Some of ’em make millions, some make thousands, but most of ’em, they ain’t goin’ hungry, that’s for sure. They played hard, they earned it.
And that’s the long and short of it. It ain’t simple, but that’s how them football fellas get by after they hang up their cleats. They get their pensions, they get their jobs, and they get their other bits and pieces. They take care of their own, seems like.
More About the Pension
The most important thing seems to be that pension though. That’s the steady money, the money you can count on. And it’s all tied to how long you played. Every season you played, that’s like puttin’ money in the bank. And when you hit 55, you start gettin’ that money back, month after month. It’s a good system, seems like. Takes care of the fellas who gave their all to the game.
And remember, that forty-three thousand dollars a year, that’s just the average. The stars, the ones who played for a long, long time, they get way more. So, it pays to be good and it pays to stay healthy, I reckon. That way you can play longer and get that bigger pension.
So there you have it. A little bit about how them retired football fellas make their money. It ain’t always easy, but they find a way. They’re tough, those boys. They gotta be to play that game.
Tags: Retirement, National Football League, NFL Players, Pension, Football Career, Post-Career Earnings
