Being a superstar athlete is one of the most glamorized professions in the world today. It’s often associated with a life of luxury that includes fame, notoriety, endless pleasures, and large monetary sums.
Advertisement
Although when it comes to the world of professional football, the latter may be lacking just a bit. The National Football League is often touted for being the fastest-growing money-making machine in the world of sports and entertainment today, yet its financial guarantees to players aren’t quite as hefty as some may think.
While answering fan questions on Instagram recently, the seven-year NFL veteran and former pass rusher for the Los Angeles Chargers, Isaac Rochell, explained the figures behind the pensions that are awarded to retired players.
“When I turn 55, I’m going to get $7,000 a month from the NFL,” Rochell noted. “The reason I am going to get this is because I played seven seasons. Essentially, I get $1,000 per season as my pension.”
Naturally, that would cause many to assume that multi-decade veterans, such as Tom Brady, would be netting tens of thousands of dollars a month. According to the former seventh-round draft pick, however, there’s a cap to both the benefits and the pensions that are offered by the NFL. Simply put, “It caps at 10 years.”
“Brady can continue to contribute to his 401K, which he did every year, but as far as his pension, once he gets to 10 years, he doesn’t continue to contribute to his pension.” It may not be a fun rule for Brady, but the rest of the league’s retirees are likely content with the cap, as it helps to ensure that they get paid just as well as the next legend.
Like most young men, retirement plans and pensions are usually the last thing on an NFL player’s mind. From the second you enter the league until the time you leave it, your everyday life becomes consumed by the requirements of the game.
Nevertheless, they become an increasingly real factor for Rochell, especially as he entered the later stages of his career. “I wanted to play 10 years,” he admitted.
“I would have loved to make to make it to that mark, and as I got older in my career, it was definitely something that I thought about. Like, let me just try to play another season and get like three games just to get another year of pension. But, unfortunately, I don’t make the rules, and now I’m a stay at home dad.”
Considering that the league just brought in its latest crop of 257 rookies from this year’s NFL Draft, perhaps Rochell’s video is one worth showing prior to their first season as professionals. It’s never too early nor too late to improve your financial literacy, but sooner is still much better than later.
