Streams Fuel NFL Pay

Belle Donnaud, staff writer

National Football League (NFL)contract salaries are reaching unbelievable heights as more TV views come with better paid athletes. After all that these players put their bodies through and all the mental and physical pain, the athletes are very much deserving of what they make. NFL players endure a lot on and off the field, so they make a lot. As the NFL’s views and fans soar, so does the players pay. Although the NFL is one of the highest paying sports leagues in the entire world, they are very much deserving of their pay because of the ongoing physical injuries and mental health issues that come along with playing. 

NFL players earn their large salaries because they are the ones driving the league for all the revenue. If the league's popularity decreased, then the contracts would lower just as fast as the people watching. The NFL may be one of the highest paying sports leagues in the world, but it is also one of the most watched sports leagues in the world. Nowadays the average Sunday night football game gets 20-45 million views, and the Super Bowl gets more than 110 million, compared to a 15-18 million in the early 2000s and around 80 for the Super Bowl. 

While having the honor of interviewing UGA and Falcons star Terrence Edwards, I asked Edwards why players are getting paid more now. He responded saying,  

“Players are ultimately getting paid more because TV deals are getting bigger and bigger, so the NFL is making more so the players' salaries will go up.” 

This response backs up everything I had said about how players earn their pay by doing a better job at pulling people to watch the games. Players deserve their salaries in the end because they are drawing in revenue for the league. 

While high-volume viewership shows the value that the players bring to the sport, their salaries are also justified by the mental and physical pain they endure. The athletes experience constant high-impact hit to their heads and bodies, constantly being injured, and suffering long term trauma after retiring. Along with physical pain comes the mental. Many players struggle with anxiety on not preforming well because any single game or play could mess up a career, and they also struggle with post-retirement identity loss and depression. High volumes of head trauma over their career causes brain damage and issues to mood and thoughts. 

Terrence Edwards touched on this subject in the interview when asked if he thinks the higher salaries are justified, even after you adjust for inflation.  

“I will always think the players are underpaid, and it doesn't matter how much they are making, it's the long-lasting effect of injuries that we can incur is the big reason I believe that.” 

Players themselves go through so much, and the long term mental and physical health issues justify their skyrocketing salaries.  

Overall, NFL players earn their large salaries through their hard work, risks they take every day on the field and even after retiring from their career. Playing football is a lifetime commitment. Before playing, you must commit to intense training to even be considered in a draft. During the sport you suffer injuries and intense anxiety, and after retiring you must endure a ton of depression and post-fame identity loss. Being an NFL player takes a huge toll on you overall, and all the hard-working players have earned their high pay-out through hard work and dedication to the game.