Length of NFL career?

[Slater]

Some time ago I remember reading that the length of the average NFL player's career was 5 years. Does that still hold true?

[infrared41]

Some time ago I remember reading that the length of the average NFL player's career was 5 years. Does that still hold true?

I thought it was shorter than that. Like 3.5 years. Either way, you can see why they want to make as much money as possible.

[hormone]

That sounds about right due to injury and business stuff. I attribute it to the high turnover of linemen and a lot of players (talent wise) can only hack a few years. It just seems longer because the stars hold our attention for so long.

[illwauk]

I always bring this up when people complain about athletes being overpaid. For every Tom Brady or TO with a huge contract, there's about 20 guys making the league minimum (which is something like 175,000 for rookies, 225,000 for second year guys, etc.). If someone is out of the league in 3 years, there's no way they've earned enough money to be set for life. Not to mention the medical problems most of them have to face for the rest of their lives.

[Domi28]

I always bring this up when people complain about athletes being overpaid. For every Tom Brady or TO with a huge contract, there's about 20 guys making the league minimum (which is something like 175,000 for rookies, 225,000 for second year guys, etc.). If someone is out of the league in 3 years, there's no way they've earned enough money to be set for life. Not to mention the medical problems most of them have to face for the rest of their lives.

I see your point, I feel bad for those guys who only get to play three years and not be set for life. Think about it, they might have to get a job like everyone else. oh the horrors of it all!!!!!!!!!!

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I always bring this up when people complain about athletes being overpaid. For every Tom Brady or TO with a huge contract, there's about 20 guys making the league minimum (which is something like 175,000 for rookies, 225,000 for second year guys, etc.). If someone is out of the league in 3 years, there's no way they've earned enough money to be set for life. Not to mention the medical problems most of them have to face for the rest of their lives.

I see your point, I feel bad for those guys who only get to play three years and not be set for life. Think about it, they might have to get a job like everyone else. oh the horrors of it all!!!!!!!!!!

They do have jobs. Their jobs pay more than yours, that's all. And you would take as much money as someone offered you, wouldn't you? And in negotiations, you would try to maximize your salary, wouldn't you?

[Sport]

I've heard that that an NFL player gets the league pension if he plays a minimum of three years.

[Domi28]

They do have jobs. Their jobs pay more than yours, that's all. And you would take as much money as someone offered you, wouldn't you? And in negotiations, you would try to maximize your salary, wouldn't you?

I know they have jobs, read it again will ya. I'm talking about AFTER their NFL days are over, they will have to get a job to support themselves and their families just like everyone else in the world. I will not feel sorry for them for not having enough income to be "set for life" after playing 3 years of NFL football.

[infrared41]

I've heard that that an NFL player gets the league pension if he plays a minimum of three years.

I thought it was four years but yes there is a pension for players who play the required amount of time.

[Billy B]

They do have jobs. Their jobs pay more than yours, that's all. And you would take as much money as someone offered you, wouldn't you? And in negotiations, you would try to maximize your salary, wouldn't you?

I know they have jobs, read it again will ya. I'm talking about AFTER their NFL days are over, they will have to get a job to support themselves and their families just like everyone else in the world. I will not feel sorry for them for not having enough income to be "set for life" after playing 3 years of NFL football.

Also think about this. What if you have a job that you've dreamed of your whole life and an unforseen event happens that causes you to lose that job. You wouldn't want to find an entirely different field of work from the one that you've been working toward for such a long time.

[Mac the Knife]

The minimum salary table for a first-year player in 2007, per the NFLPA, is $285,000, with that amount going up $75K if the player's in his 2nd, 3rd or 4th credited season. If he's in his 5th through 7th seasons he's guaranteed a minimum salary of $595,000. If he's in his 8th through 10th, his minimum salary is $720,000. If he's in his 11th season on, he's making at least $820,000.

Those figures go up each year of the collective bargaining agreement (through 2012), but it explains why to some extent careers are short: a team is required to pay more for a player the older he gets, so the teams are essentially encouraged by the terms of the CBA to go out and get college kids they can pay less money.