Fans understand that professional athletes are not like us in so many ways. Whether they “deserve” the salaries they make or not, the sports they play are so popular (demand) and so few people can play at the level that they do (supply) that salaries have skyrocketed over the last few decades. Covering and following the Cleveland Browns our entire lives, it is tough to imagine playing professional football, let alone making the kind of money the players do.
Former Browns CB Joe Haden, for example,
was paid over $120 million during his 12 seasons in the NFL. Of that, Haden made over $74 million while in Cleveland, according to Over the Cap.
According to Haden, between buying his parents a house, his brothers’ cars, himself a house and cars, a big cash gift to his parents, and taxes, he “only” had about a million dollars left from his signing bonus:
We will save the tax conversation for a different comment section, but Haden quickly shows how easy it is for people to spend money when they get a lot quickly. Anyone can judge his decisions if they want; however, it is his money, but his final statements are quite funny about “people who aren’t hip” to financial decision-making, after he blew through his signing bonus so quickly.
Instead of focusing on Haden’s decisions, what would you do right now if someone deposited $7+ million into your account today? Make it fun, serious, or hilarious in the comment section below
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