2021 was a great year for NFL fans. After the shortening of the 2020 season, the stadiums returned to full capacity with a limited number of visitors. The stadium parking lots filled again with the anticipation of the Tailgaters and their grilled camaraderie.
It’s been a great year for Bitcoin too (BTCAs the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, investors hit all-time highs several times over the course of 2021, finally reaching US $ 69,000 in early November. This led to a dramatic increase in media coverage of Bitcoin.
Seven NFL players decided to name the Audible in 2021 and either cash out in crypto or partially convert their cash salary into crypto. These players have benefited from the return of the regular season and the increased profitability of Bitcoin.
Aaron Rodgers
The reigning 2020 NFL MVP, which was announced on November 1st Video post on Twitter that he is working with the payment service Cash App to accept part of his salary in Bitcoin. Rodgers will make around $ 22.3 million this year.
The video showed Rodgers dressed up as John Wick for a Halloween party. As if that wasn’t strange enough, Rodgers also told viewers that he would donate $ 1 million in BTC.
In Rodgers’ case, part of his salary will be transferred to his Cash App account, which he will then use to buy BTC.
The Twitter profile of the Green Bay Packers’ star quarterback features a picture of himself on the pitch during a game with the iconic laser eyes that further signals his support for BTC.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is another very high profile NFL star quarterback who got into cryptocurrency extensively in 2021. Brady has not yet said he will be paid in BTC by the NFL, but he will be paid in crypto by the FTX exchange after taking a stake in the Sam Bankman-Fried exchange and will act as the brand ambassador.
Brady didn’t just reserve crypto assets, however. The iconic soccer star launched its own NFT platform, called Autograph, in April to attract the top talent in sports, entertainment, fashion, and pop culture.
Tom Brady’s entry into Crypto was a top signal pic.twitter.com/hc6qxQou9o
– Tom Brady (@TomBrady) October 20, 2021
For Brady and Crypto, however, it doesn’t end there. In late October, Brady tossed the 600th pass touchdown of his career, marking an all-time high for the NFL and helping secure Brady’s position as the all-time touchdown passer in league history. Brady paid 1 BTC to the fan who originally received the ball from the recipient who ended the touchdown.
That BTC was worth about $ 62,000 at the time of the game, but it could be the ball itself Valued at over $ 500,000 according to Goldin Auctions sports memorabilia auction company.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) followed in Aaron Rodgers’ footsteps with the announcement end of November that he had Partnership with Cash App get his salary from the NFL in BTC. His contract stipulates that he should receive about $ 4.25 million from the NFL this season.
The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver announced that it would be returning $ 1 million in BTC as part of its new partnership with Cash App. Beckham seems to be no stranger to the crypto and NFT scene as his Twitter profile carries a crypto punk NFT.
In case you haven’t noticed, Jack Dorsey’s Cash app is involved in both OBJ and Aaron Rodgers’s BTC payroll. The payment service app has had a great 2021 generated nearly $ 10 billion in revenue with 36 million active users and 100 million downloads in the first three quarters of the year.
Trevor Lawrence
The Carolina Panthers’ new star quarterback is one of the NFL superstars who publicly accept crypto payments. Lawrence’s deal is not directly with the NFL, however. The 2021 NFL top draft pick crypto salary is coming from an advertising contract with the crypto portfolio app FTX (formerly Blockfolio).
Congratulations on being number 1 @Trevorlawrencee!
We have a surprise for you – check your @blockfolio account for USD 25,000 SOL.
Tonight is crypto, thanks to you! pic.twitter.com/ci8yHp3e8W
– SBF (@SBF_FTX) April 30, 2021
The value of his deal hasn’t been made public, but if Lawrence withheld his crypto earnings, there’s a good chance he’s enjoyed an increase in value, particularly from the Solana (SOL) Coins. The total capitalization of the crypto market has increased by about $ 500 billion since the end of April when the deal was announced.
Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley, the returning superstar from the New York Giants, announced in July that he had all of his Confirmation payment in BTC. As with most of the others on this list, Barkley is not paid directly with crypto. Instead, he exchanges part of his cash earnings for crypto.
Barkley uses the Strike payment app to purchase its BTC. However, he’s 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 into BTC.
Barkley’s case for trying to amass wealth with BTC revolved around the longevity of NFL athletes. He said on July 15, host of Best Business Show, Anthony Pompliano:
“When you see the KDs, the Lebrons and Bradys of the world and you want to create generational wealth, you can’t do that with the sport I play and the position I play and overcoming injuries and playing football for a full year , you realize that you could take this game away from you. “
Sean culkin
The close end of the Kansas City Chiefs, Sean Culkin, went public with his plans Convert his entire salary from the NFL in BTC. While others on this list have pledged to convert only part of their salary into bitcoin or get paid for endorsements with cryptos, Culkin is swapping 100% of his salary.
I firmly believe that Bitcoin is the future of finance, and I wanted to prove that I have real skin in the game – not just to make money quickly. I will convert my entire NFL salary to in 2021 #Bitcoin.
– Sean Culkin (@ culkin22) April 26, 2021
As with Saquon Barkley, Culkin’s case for turning to crypto has to do with the short half-life that is common among players in the league. The average time most athletes spend in the NFL is 3.3 years. according to to Statista. Culkin said in a statement:
“Given my career – especially the physical demands and the brevity – it makes the most sense to be paid with solid money, which I believe will protect its purchasing power over time.”
Aaron Jones
Last but not least, Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers is on the list of NFL stars who deserve crypto. The return signed a contract with FTX September to become ambassador of the exchange. As with Tom Brady’s deal, Jones bought a stake in the stock market.
Jones will also be integrating the FTX Pay platform with his own charity’s website so that it can accept crypto donations.
Got my first NFT shout on @HouseDeGOAT thank you for welcoming me to the herd #GOATz
Excited to be part of the community !!! pic.twitter.com/oLRquKjGRE
– Aaron Jones 3️⃣3️⃣ (@ Showtyme_33) December 9, 2021
