Alright, let’s talk about these football fellas, the ones that used to run around on TV, you know, the NFL players. Do they get paid after they stop playing? That’s what everyone wants to know, right? Well, it ain’t as simple as you think.
First off, they got this thing called a pension. Now, what’s a pension? It’s like a piggy bank, but for old folks. Them football boys, they gotta play for at least three years to get some money in that piggy bank. The more years they play, the more money they get later. I heard tell that in 2023, them fellas were gettin’ around $43,000 a year on average. That’s a good chunk of change, ain’t it?
But it ain’t just the pension, see. They also get a big ol’ check when they retire, a severance they call it. It’s like a “thank you” for all the times they got knocked around on that field. How much they get depends on how long they played and when they played. It’s all calculated and such, too complicated for my old brain.
I heard a story about this fella, O.J. somethin’ or other. He was gettin’ social security like us regular folks, but he also had a big ol’ pension from the NFL. Millions, they said! He was gettin’ a hundred and some thousand dollars a year, maybe even three hundred thousand! Can you imagine? Folks tried to get their hands on it, but the law said no, that money was his.
Now, what happens if they get hurt? If they get put on somethin’ called IR, injured reserve, they still get paid. But how much? Well, that depends on what their contract says. Them contracts, they’re as thick as a phone book, all full of fancy words and numbers. I can’t make heads or tails of ‘em.
- Pension: Gotta play three years to get it. More years you play, more money you get.
- Severance: Big check when you retire. How much depends on how long you played.
- Injured Reserve: Still get paid, but how much depends on the contract.
Every year they play, they get their salary in 18 chunks, they say. That’s for all the games and that bye week thing, where they get a little rest. But if they get cut, meaning the team don’t want ‘em no more, well, that’s a different story. They stop getting paid, unless they got some kinda special deal.
And it ain’t just about money, you know. These fellas, they put their bodies through a lot. They get banged up, bruised, and broken. Some of ‘em can barely walk when they get older. So, this money, it’s important. It helps ‘em live, helps ‘em with doctor bills and such. It’s what they earned, fair and square, playin’ their hearts out for all them fans.
I also heard about somethin’ called the Pro Football Retired Players Association, or PFRPA. They look out for the old players, try to get ‘em stuff like vision coverage. See, even after they’re done playin’, they still need help. It ain’t easy bein’ old, especially when you used to be a football star.
So, yeah, them retired NFL players, they do get paid. But it ain’t a free ride. They earned it, every penny. They played hard, got hurt, and now they get a little somethin’ back for all their trouble. It’s only fair, I reckon.
They say these fellas get their pension when they hit 55, that’s what they call normal retirement age. How much they get each month depends on how many years they played. Each year they played counts for somethin’, adds a little more to their pot. It all adds up in the end, see. It’s like plantin’ seeds, you plant enough, you get a good harvest.
So, that’s the long and short of it. It ain’t perfect, nothin’ ever is. But it’s somethin’. It’s a way for these fellas to have a decent life after they’re done playin’ the game they love. And that’s what matters, ain’t it?
Tags: [NFL, retirement, pension, severance, injured reserve, NFL players, football, Pro Football Retired Players Association, PFRPA]
