Kalen Ballage is a former NFL star playing in the newly enhanced XFL version of Pro football. He features as a Running Back for the San Antonio Bahamas in the 2023 season of this fan-driven sport. The Arizona product played for almost four seasons in the National Football League before marking a new beginning to his professional career.
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The introduction of XFL into the American sporting industry gave birth to a new mode of entertainment among the fans. Well, this initiative also paved the way for athletes like Ballage to find new opportunities apart from a highly competitive environment in the NFL. Even though his productivity was limited, the 27-year-old amassed a decent amount of wealth during this tenure.
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How much does Kalen Ballage earn?
According to the reports shared by various outlets, this Running Back boasts a net worth of almost $5 million. His last stint in the NFL was inside the Steelers’ locker room, where he drew an annual salary of $920,000 with no signing bonus.
Unlike other top-tier athletes, Ballage has no records of wealth creation from brand endorsements or deals. And thus, a major chunk of his income comes from playing football.
Ballage’s arrival into the league happened with the Miami Dolphins. He was selected as the fourth-round pick from the NFL draft class of 2018. After Playing for almost two seasons in Miami, the youngster relocated his base to New York.
However, his tenure with the Jets was short-lived, as he signed a new deal with the Chargers the same year. He featured in 11 games for the side, recording 91 carries for 303 rushing yards.
The following year he found a new home in Pittsburgh, signing a one-year contract as a special teams player. Despite appearing in all 17 games, Ballage couldn’t create a significant impact diminishing his future aspirations in the league.
When Kalen Ballage found some breathing space in the XFL
In an emerging platform backed by some of the legendary artists like Dwayne Johnson, Ballage finds himself in a safe place to re-establish his brand value. While his underutilization in the NFL became a hot topic of discussion, the youngster blamed the politics and other matters influencing the selection process.
“A lot of politics and things you can’t control. Some of these teams draft guys, and they want to see those guys in those positions,” the RB said in an interview via The San Antonio Express-News. However, things have changed now, and it will be interesting to see how athletes like Ballage make a career out of this opportunity.
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