no Every NFL athlete Signing a multi-million dollar contract to play pro football, leaving their families elsewhere to supplement their income.
“I'll just set the record straight: We have multiple sources of income that we've built over the past seven years,” Allison Kuch, Who is married to a free agent Isaac RochelleHe said on the November 2023 episode of “Sunday Sports Club”. podcast. “Also, if you've been in the NFL for seven years and you have to get a job immediately after you get cut, something doesn't add up.”
Kuch and Rochelle, K Welcome daughter Scotty In December 2023, don't count on his NFL salary alone – especially when he remains unsigned. They have her podcast, her husband PSA merchandise and various other social media deals and endorsements that contribute to their family income.
Jason KellsMeanwhile, he played 14 seasons of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in March 2024. He is an ESPN broadcaster and co-hosts a “New Heights” podcast with brother Travis Kelce. When there were podcasts Recently sold to Wanderer Millions, for Jason and wife Kylie Kells Still keeping their home life relatively modest. (They share three daughters and are expecting child No. 4, due in November 2024.)
“We make sure we do everything we can to make them feel supported by their family and friends and then not put them at a disadvantage,” Kylie said. Exclusively stated our weekly in June 2024. “(We're) doing our best to make sure they drive a (used vehicle) when they grow up and they're 16. We can't let them have a hand-me-down car at this point. You're not getting Dad's (Tesla) Cybertruck as your hand-me-down. You drive a basic model, hopefully, with a crank to roll down the windows.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about the behind-the-scenes reality of the NFL and the finances of the stars:
about salary
Despite the choice of players Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott And Aaron Rodgers Big money, not all NFL contracts are created equal. Retired athlete Chad Hansenhis wife, Bryce Watts Hansen, Close the claim December 2024 “All NFL players are millionaires” in a series of TikTok videos.
Actually, Bryce said The couple lives in a 700-square-foot apartment with the same beat-up couch he had when he signed his rookie contract with the New York Jets.
“He's been on eight different NFL teams, which means eight different contracts being signed and broken,” he explained video. “When you're on a team, it's good money — whether (if you're on) the practice squad or the active roster, it's all good money.”
He added, “But because contracts aren't guaranteed … (once you're cut) you don't get anything, especially if you sign at the beginning of the offseason and then you get cut in the offseason. You're not seeing any of that money because you haven't played over and over again, haven't gone to practice.”
According to Bryce, they spent most of his paycheck on expenses associated with moving between teams, in addition to doctor's appointments and other necessary expenses.
“The costs really start to add up, so you have to (decide), 'We're not going to buy new furniture, we're going to spend it on his body or on recovery equipment,'” Bryce added. “It helps us and helps him.”
Dealing with insurance
Like any employer, the NFL offers insurance to the league's active players.
“They don't even get lifetime insurance,” Kuch said in July 2024 tiktok Video “Some players who only play one game, I understand, but Tom Brady? He's only insured for four more years.
Couch is in Rochelle's plan, which “restarts” when she signs with a new team.
“Last year, because my husband was employed by the Las Vegas Raiders, he received insurance for the entire employment year,” she said. “As the service year is over, we get insurance for another five years. Every year my husband continues to play, it resumes for another five years.
So, even though Rachel was cut from the Raiders a few weeks before Cooch was born, her delivery bill was still covered by their insurance provider.
Cost of uniform
According to Bryce, athletes cannot keep their jerseys without paying for them. He released another in December 2024 tiktok Chad has purchased helmets for two of the eight teams he has played for in his career.
“I think the jerseys can be $600 or something like that, so when (athletes) swap after the game, you have to pay for it,” he said. “He wished he'd bought a helmet for a few more, but when you cut down to the last thing you want to buy a helmet that's a few hundred dollars.”
Game Day Ticketing
While many NFL wives and their children play a major role at football games, securing tickets isn't always easy.
“NFL tickets are not free even if your husband or boyfriend is on the team,” Bryce said on Dec. 3, 2024 tiktok Video “They get a certain amount and if they don't get enough for family members, they have to transfer from another player – but they also pay taxes.”
According to Bryce, the tickets are scattered around the stadium in different sections next to other fans.
“You don't get some 'primo' front row seats,” he explained. “Also, when you see people in boxes? Even the big players? They pay for them. They paid for those boxes, they don't get them for free.”
Travis KelceFor his part, The cost was over $3 million For a box for the 2024 Super Bowl for the girlfriend Taylor SwiftThey both have family and several famous friends. big game The game was played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which features a “Field Club” on the sidelines, complete with table and bottle service.
“It's a crazy amount of money to get one of the field club booths,” Kylie ColeWho is married to a Raiders punter AJ Cole, Kuch said on his podcast In October 2024, seats are confirmed to sell for about $30,000 per table.
in los angeles, Kelly Stafford He and the Rams will have to pay for a suit to accommodate the quarterback Matthew StaffordHis four daughters.
“There's this area in the suite where there's food and you can sit and have a cocktail or something, and my kids are sitting there painting,” Kelly said. His “Morning After” podcast In October 2024. “I'm going, 'Hey, there's a reason I brought you to these games. Frankly, it's a wasted ticket. You can do it at home, watch it on TV and color it.'
Kelly added, “I really want them to be there because I know their dad wants them there, and I'm like, 'Am I wasting money to bring you to these games?'
All kinds of fines
Many athletes must allocate a portion of their salary to pay off league debt.
“You can get fined for different things in the NFL,” the Saints star Juwan Johnsonhis wife, Shannon JohnsonOctober 2024 said on TikTok video. “The fines either come from the NFL or specifically from your team, like if you're late to practice or you're late to a meeting … or do something in a game that's bad.”
According to the channel, Juwan was fined $2,000 just for “failing the weight test” during his five-year NFL career.
Years ago, Rochelle revealed to him tiktok That during his breakout year with the Los Angeles Chargers he was fined $30,000 for a tackle mid-game.
“Everybody in the NFL knows if you have a FedEx package in your locker, you get fined,” Rochelle said. “You are paying someone. I opened it, and sure enough, it was $30,000. Mind you, at the time I was making $500 a week during training camp, so it was a lot more than training camp.”
A hierarchy among wives
Even players' contracts affect dynamics With the husbands of the players.
“For wives, for sure, (there is a hierarchy). There's variation from group to group, but if you think about any group of 53 girls in a room, you're not going to get along with every one of them,” Cooch said on “The Vial Files” podcast in August 2024. You will be attracted to different girls, no matter what. There are teams that (Isaac) has played for, where girls won't give you the time of day unless your husband has a certain contract size or if he's a veteran.”
Rachel, for her part, said the same hierarchy exists in the locker room, but “it's not as bad.”
“I think guys are cool,” he said. “But there's such a difference in how much people make that it's hard not to (be a thing). Your teammate can make 30 times what you make. If you get a guy who makes $4 million a game and then I – remember (I made $7,000 every two weeks) – he doesn't care about me. There is no way. If he's really worried about winning, he's not worried about Isaac on (the) practice squad (at) his rookie year.