In the midst of money being thrown around at a record clip during NBA free agency, one NFL player took note.
Washington Redskins safety Duke Ihenacho went on a little bit of a Twitter rant on Wednesday. And he had some good points.
All this guaranteed money NBA throwing. Meanwhile the NFL, which generates the most money wont even make the league minimum $1M
— Duke Ihenacho (@DukeIhenacho) July 1, 2015
Yes $1M minimum. That means every single player's salary in the NFL should start there. Highest risk of injury..brain trauma, richest league
— Duke Ihenacho (@DukeIhenacho) July 1, 2015
No security in football. Obviously unless you hit the lick.
— Duke Ihenacho (@DukeIhenacho) July 1, 2015
Long considered the most-dangerous of the four major professional sports in North America, football players don’t necessarily reap the benefits compared to athletes in other leagues.
The minimum salary for rookies entering the NFL is $435,000 in 2015. For veterans with three-plus years of experience, that minimum goes up to $660,000.
For comparison’s sake, the minimum salary for rookie around the NBA is $507,336.
That might not seem like a big deal. Though, when we take into account the considerably higher risk football players take when it comes to head trauma and other serious injuries, it’s surprising to see that the league’s minimum is lower than that of the NBA.
Consider this: The average NFL salary for the 2013 season (most recent records available) was $2 million. That same season saw the average NBA salary hit $4.9 million.
That’s where the discrepancy is.
While Ihenacho isn’t exactly a high-profile player, his opinion is shared by a lot of other players out there. Teams are running up record profits in today’s NFL, which makes it hard to believe that the players are lagging so far behind in comparison to other leagues out there.
It’s something to consider as we continue to see billions thrown around to NBA players over the next couple weeks.
Photo: USA Today Sports