NFL players are making generational wealth in today’s NFL. The best players are getting more money for five years than ordinary people will make in their lifetime.
That’s why many fans didn’t care for Odell Beckham Jr.’s latest comments about how difficult it is to manage those big contracts. In a now-viral interview, the former Cleveland Browns star complained about how it’s difficult to make $100 million last a lifetime.
Talking to Ryan Clark, he claimed that people don’t realize that, due to taxes, the $100 million is actually close to $60 million.
“I always explain this to people, you give somebody a five-year, $100 million contract, that’s five years for 60. We’re getting taxed. Do the math, that’s 12 a year. If you are spending $4 million a year, that’s really 40 million over 5 years, 8 a year. You start breaking down the numbers and that’s a five-year span. Can you make that last forever?” Beckham said.
Former Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr. says it's tough to make $100 million last a lifetime.
“I always explain this to people, you give somebody a five-year, $100 million contract, that’s five years for 60. We’re getting taxed." pic.twitter.com/6gZbxlyubv— BrownsNation.com (@BrownsNationcom) December 3, 2025
Of course, professional athletes have a different lifestyle, but $60 million should be more than enough to last a lifetime. It should be more than enough for him and future generations. Also, he’s not talking about endorsement deals and investments, and most star players play for longer than five years.
Some NFL players fail to get a second contract. Others don’t even make it past training camp, and they have to find other jobs after their playing days are over.
Nobody argues that they’re some of the greatest athletes in the world, and they clearly have to put their bodies through some extreme conditions to get to and stay in the league for years. That’s why they make that type of life-changing money.
And while everybody’s free to complain about their own realities, it’s hard for people to feel sympathy for an athlete complaining about ‘only’ being left with $12 million a year after taxes.
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