*When it comes to money, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson are more than willing to educate young NFL players on avoiding financial disparity “when the cheques stop rolling in.”
During an episode of “Nightcap,” money and how young NFL players should take steps to handle the increase of funds at the start of their pro football career was the hot topic discussed among former sports stars. Although their fellow athletes are making more money than a lot of them have ever seen, Sharpe recommended that they to not let it go to their heads with obtaining an extreme number of items. In his eyes, it’s a step backward.
“You want some nice things? Reward yourself for the hard work. But at what point in time do I need to have like 10 cars? I don’t. I don’t. And that’s the mistake that some of us make. Do we really need all that?” the 2025 NAACP Image Award nominee asked.
Ochocinco added: “When you’re young, you wanna live like the rappers, even though you make 10 times more than the rappers, Johnson added, touching on the players seeing the rhymesayers “with all the chains and the cars.”
Reinforcing Johnson’s point, The SportsRush noted the influence of social media, which highlights the image of wealthy rappers, shining a noticeable light on”the culture of faking it in front of others, with success measured in a show of material possessions.” For athletes who keep their eye on and look up to them, the sight is far-reaching in the path taken when managing their wealth.
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Although the money earned is more than what entertainers pull in, Sharpe and Johnson suggest the players avoid being taken in by the display of “‘fake wealth’ online they often see.
“On IG, sometimes IG has me questioning myself like, well damn! I be calling my people like ey, ya’ll ain’t paying me enough. How does every rapper fly private?” Sharpe questioned, with Johnson advising the sportsmen, “Don’t fall for that.”
“I know they not, because I see a lot of rappers on my flight. I’m talking big names,” Sharpe added to dead the notion of the jet-setting MC.
Having experienced the fast lane of big money moves and buys during and after his glory days on the football field, Johnson knows how it can come tumbling down with each mistake.
The ex-Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro turned “Inside the NFL” pundit has real talk for those who are having a difficult time changing their lifestyle when the shift in funds results in a less-than-full wallet.
“We go broke because of that identity, that image we try to portray, not only while we’re playing, but once we stop playing when the cheques stop rolling in,” he said. “It’s impossible to keep up with that lifestyle. Impossible! Imagine, there was a time every goddamn Monday, I’m making $350,000 a week? Six months out of the year?” Johnson continued. “And I’m looking at dudes now, and they’re living their life,” said Johnson.
As their chat went into why players go broke, Johnson and Sharpe brought up the people (hangers-on, friends, family, and everything in between) that come to them for money, a topic not often talked about, compared to conversations on displays of flashy wealth. The sad reality, as Sharpe mentioned, is that former NFL teammates are among the people asking for money and loans. Despite them making “more money: than him in the league, the “Club Shay Shay” host stated the players blew it all blew it all during or shortly after their sports careers in the pros.
“They say if you give me more money, then I’ll be alright. But if you don’t have no financial discipline, it doesn’t matter how much they give you, you’re gonna overspend,” Sharpe pointed out.
“Think about wherever you from, think about people that you know, personally, that had money at one time. They were on top of the world. Where they at now?
“You don’t need to say names, you can just think about the stories… Me giving you five grand, me giving you 10 grand, ain’t go do nothing, because you’re going to be right back in the same position again anyway,” he added.
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