For NFL fans, 2021 has been a great year. Stadiums were once again packed with people after the 2020 season was cut short with limited attendance. The stadium parking lots were once again filled with the enthusiastic expectation of fans and their camaraderie on the grill.
It was also a great year for Bitcoin (BTC) investors, as the largest cryptocurrency by market cap hit all-time highs on several occasions throughout 2021, eventually reaching $ 69,000 in early November. This has led to a dramatic increase in media coverage of Bitcoin.
Seven NFL players in 2021 decided to call the audible and start getting paid in crypto or partially converting their cash wages into crypto. These players have capitalized on the return of the regular season and the higher profitability of Bitcoin.
Aaron Rodgers
The current 2020 NFL MVP announced via a video post on Twitter on November 1 that he is teaming up with the Cash App payment service to accept a portion of his salary in Bitcoin. Rodgers will earn around $ 22.3 million this year.
The video showed Rodgers dressed as John Wick for a Halloween party. If that wasn’t strange enough, probably on purpose, Rodgers also told viewers that he would donate $ 1 million in BTC.
In Rodgers’ case, part of his salary will be sent to his Cash App account, which he will then use to buy BTC.
The Green Bay Packers star quarterback’s Twitter profile features a photo of him on the pitch during a game with the iconic laser eyes, further indicating his support for BTC.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is another star NFL quarterback who has made a big splash in crypto in 2021. Brady has yet to say the NFL will pay him in BTC, but FTX will pay him in crypto after taking a stake. participating in the Sam Bankman-Fried exchange, and will serve as a brand ambassador.
However, Brady hasn’t just reserved for crypto assets. The iconic soccer star launched his own NFT platform, called Autograph, in April to attract top talent from sports, entertainment, fashion and pop culture.
Tom Brady entering Crypto was a prime signal pic.twitter.com/hc6qxQou9o
– Tom Brady (@TomBrady) October 20, 2021
However, it doesn’t end there for Brady and the cryptocurrencies. In late October, Brady threw his 600th career touchdown, setting an all-time NFL record and helping secure Brady’s position as the all-time touchdown leader in league history. Brady paid 1 BTC to the fan who initially received the ball from the receiver who completed the touchdown.
That BTC was worth around $ 62,000 at the time of play, but the ball itself could be worth over $ 500,000 according to sports memorabilia auction company Goldin Auctions.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) followed in Aaron Rodgers’ footsteps by announcing in late November that he had partnered up with Cash App to receive his NFL salary in BTC. His contract says he is expected to receive around $ 4.25 million from the NFL this season.
The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver has told fans he will be returning $ 1 million in BTC as part of his new partnership with Cash App. Beckham doesn’t seem like a stranger to the cryptocurrency and NFT scene, as his Twitter profile has a Crypto Punk NFT.
In case you haven’t noticed, Jack Dorsey’s Cash app is involved in OBJ and Aaron Rodgers’ BTC salary deal. The paid service app had a strong 2021 in the first three quarters of the year, generating nearly $ 10 billion in revenue from 36 million active users and 100 million downloads.
Trevor Laurent
The Carolina Panthers’ new star quarterback has joined the ranks of NFL superstars who publicly accept crypto payments. Lawrence’s deal, however, is not directly with the NFL. The crypto salary for the 2021 NFL Draft Top Pick comes from an endorsement deal with the crypto wallet app FTX (formerly Blockfolio).
Congratulations on being the # 1 choice @Trevorlawrencee!
We have a surprise for you: verify your @blockfolio account for $ 25k of SOL.
Tonight it’s in crypto, thank you! pic.twitter.com/ci8yHp3e8W
– SBF (@SBF_FTX) 30 avril 2021
The value of his deal has not been made public, but if Lawrence has accumulated his crypto income, it is highly likely that he has enjoyed appreciation in value, especially Solana (SOL) coins. The crypto’s total market cap has grown by around $ 500 billion since the end of April, when the deal was announced.
Saquon bark
Returning New York Giants superstar Saquon Barkley revealed in July that he is converting all of his approval salary to BTC. Like most of the others on this list, Barkley is not paid directly in crypto. Instead, you trade a portion of your earnings in cash for crypto.
Barkley uses the Strike payment app to acquire his BTC. However, he is not the first NFL player to use Strike to buy BTC with his salary. Last year, former NFL offensive lineman Russel Okung became the first player to publicly share that he was using Strike to convert his NFL salary to BTC.
Barkley’s reasoning for trying to accumulate wealth with BTC revolved around the lack of longevity among NFL athletes. He told Anthony Pompliano, host of the Best Business Show on July 15:
“When you watch the KDs and Lebrons and Bradys of the world and you want to build generational wealth, you can’t do it with the sport I play and the position I play and coming out of football injuries for. a whole year, you realize that they can take this game away from you. “
Sean Culkin
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Sean Culkin has gone public with plans to convert his entire NFL salary to BTC. While others on this list have pledged to convert only a portion of their salary to Bitcoin or to receive referral payments with cryptocurrencies, Culkin trades 100% of his salary.
I firmly believe that Bitcoin is the future of finance and wanted to show that I have real skin in the game, not just trying to make a quick buck. I will convert my entire 2021 NFL salary to #Bitcoin.
– Sean Culkin (@ culkin22) 26 avril 2021
As with Saquon Barkley, Culkin’s reasoning for turning to crypto has to do with the short half-life common among league players. The average time most athletes spend in the NFL is 3.3 years, according to Statista. Culkin said in a statement:
“Considering my career, especially its physical demands and brevity, it makes more sense to be paid with solid money which I think protects your purchasing power over time. “
Aaron Jones
Last, but not least, on the list of NFL stars who get crypto is Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers. The broker signed an agreement with FTX to become an ambassador for the exchange in September. As with the Tom Brady deal, Jones bought a stake in the exchange.
Jones will also integrate the FTX Pay platform into its own charity website to enable it to accept crypto donations.
I received my first NFT Shout for @MaisonDeGOAT thank you for welcoming me to the #GOATz herd
Looking forward to being part of the community! pic.twitter.com/oLRquKjGRE– Aaron Jones 3️⃣3️⃣ (@ Showtyme_33) December 9, 2021
