Professional Athlete Salaries Essay Example

Professional athletes’ pay is crazy! A record breaking contract in the NFL was for Patrick Mahomes, the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, he signed a ten-year deal that was worth five hundred and three million (Dawson). Giancarlo, an MLB slugger, received one of the largest contracts in the history of the MLB worth three hundred twenty five million (Anastasia). Hewitts’ article describes the process of becoming a professional athlete and provides some excessive contracts. Nearly six and a half million dollars, in the past three years, has been put towards forty six nine-figure NBA contracts (Hewitt). Players earn a lot of money on and off the field. However because of their fame they are offered endorsements that bring them in even more ridiculous amounts of money (Hewitt). Drew Brees, The Saints quarterback once said, “Unless if you’re finding a cure for cancer or creating world peace, I don’t know if anybody deserves to get that much money (Anastasia)”. Professional athletes deserve their fair share of money however their income is excessive; their salary has greatly increased recently, money would be beneficial towards crucial jobs, and benched players still get a hefty paycheck.  

Professional athletes’ salaries have become excessive in more recent years. The article created by Phil Taylor includes facts about salaries before they were high, information towards back-up players salaries, how the media deals with professional organizations, and facts about television profits. In 1975 salaries skyrocketed because free agents and contracts were created and caused the systems to change (Taylor). Salaries continue to rise steadily however it wasn’t that long ago when athletes needed another job to provide for their families (Taylor). Professional athletes currently have so much money and don’t know what to do with it. However until about the 1970’s professional athletes no longer needed a second income to sustain themselves financially, even if they were on the bench, injured, or a great player. Before the 1970’s a second income was needed to pay for bills. For example, Jim Palmer sold mens suits in the winter to “pay for groceries, hot water, and electricity” (Taylor). Professional athletes about fifty years ago, had to make sure they had enough money to provide for their families.

 Moreover, while being a professional athlete a second income was needed just like any other normal family to keep a steady income. Carl Furillo ran a deli and Y.A. Tittle sold insurance (Taylor). These athletes, as well as many others, got a side job in the off-season to maintain a healthy income for their families. Dawsons’ article provides multiple examples of some of the highest contracts that have been recorded in the NFL and MLB. With the NFL’s popularity rising continually their income is also rising which causes players’ income to become even more out of hand (Dawson). Athletes are getting paid ridiculous amounts of money and because more people are willing to buy tickets and merchandise it produces more money for the players and leagues. In addition to the salaries being increased more recently, large amounts of money should be put towards jobs that are more crucial and essential. 

Jobs such as doctors, firefighters, military workers and such deserve larger amounts of money. Healthcare workers helping with the COVID-19 are only making fifty-six thousand dollars a year while professional athletes are getting more than thirty million for a season that doesn’t eleven last a full year (Dawson). Those who are helping with the COVID-19 pandemic have put in many hours to help everyone in their power to keep the as healthy as possible. While athletes playing a sport for less than half a year are getting paid millions. Parker Reeds’ article providesfacts about large contracts. Reed provides an explanation for both sides of the argument that athletes are paid too much vs. that they are paid a reasonable amount. General surgeons are making about four-hundred thousand dollars a year while professional athletes are making millions (Reed). General surgeons have gone to school for many years of their lives to do what they do. They save lives every single day while athletes playing a sport get handed millions. Anastasias’ article, similar to Reeds’, provides reasons to both sides of the argument and it provides reasons as to why they believe it is true. U.S. firefighters make an average of forty-eight thousand dollars a year (Anastasia). Firefighters risk their lives at work and save lives at the same time. Having the money put towards those like firefighters would be much more beneficial. 

Along with that, President Barack Obama’s salary was about four-hundred thousand dollars which isn’t nearly as much as some athletes (Anastasia). Our President, running our country, is getting paid as much as some athletes do for a single game. For the amount of stress and complications the President is under, he deserves more money. Hendrix’s article  explains how athletes are overpaid, by providing excessive salaries of athletes and comparing them to those who deserve more money. The lowest salary in the army for active duty soldiers is about eighteen thousand a year, while the highest salary only goes up to thirty thousand a year (Hendrix). Soldiers risking their own lives and fighting for our freedom deserve much more money than they are earning. Soldiers also go through a great amount of training to prepare themselves for anything when in action. The large amounts of money would be much more useful being put towards those who are saving lives and risking their own every day. Along with crucial jobs not getting their fair share, athletes sitting the bench are getting hefty amounts of money.

Athletes on the bench, whether they are injured, a back-up, or they just barely made it into the leagues are still getting paid immensely. Mike Tanier's article explains free agents, re-signings, and how money is always included when thinking about taking in a new athlete. When Tom Brady played for the Patriots, his back-up, Jimmy Garoppolo, earned just about twenty-four million dollars for a pathetic, injury-plagued season (Tanier). Jimmy Garoppolo barely played the whole season and was injured and still continued to get paid millions. Jimmy however is not the only person who gets paid a great amount while doing nothing. Gwen Drew says, “Some players can earn the big bucks without ever leaving the bench (Anastasia)”. The leagues have too much money than they know what to do with so why not give it to the players on the sidelines. 

Furthermore, the athletes who barely made it into the leagues are still getting large amounts of money (Taylor). This is most likely because the leagues have generated so much money that they feel the need to give benched players large amounts too. “If you’re not playing or not playing well, you still get paid, which isn’t fair” - Gwen Drew (Anastasia). Players that sit the bench are getting paid relatively the same amount as those who play every game. This is unfair to both the benched players and the starters. Quarterback Chase Daniel has started four out of one-hundred and forty four games over nine seasons and has collected almost thirty million dollars (Taylor). Chase Daniel got paid a great amount of money just to sit on the sidelines. Although many believe athletes are overpaid others think their amount of time and effort deserves the large amounts of money.

Athletes have worked very hard to get where they are today and their hard work should be rewarded with the millions of dollars they are given. Today professional athletes make more money in a year than the average person does in a lifetime (Taylor). Athletes make millions of dollars for playing a game, while average people work hard to get to where they are with their jobs and are only paid a small fraction of what athletes make in a season. Around the 1950s professional athletes had to work side jobs in the off season instead of spending time on the beach or training (Taylor).  Before salaries changed, athletes were just like everyone else. Dawon’s article states that time, dedication, and effort are crucial things to becoming a professional athlete, along with many other things. Athletes are special and deserve a lot of money because of that reason (Dawson). These pro athletes are one in a million, getting to the big leagues is a long and hard process. Athletes shouldn’t be earning millions when their seasons don’t even come close to the span of a year (Dawson). A season that is less than six months is not worth the amount of money that is given. “...These athletes are the best in the world at what they do, and they generate so much money for these leagues that it’s only right that they get their fair share”- Charles Barkley (Taylor). Large rewards should be given to these athletes because they are greatly known for their outstanding abilities. Spector’s article provides reasons being for and against overpaid athletes. Athletes are not worth the millions that they make (Spector 22). Athletes are paid excessive amounts for playing a sport meanwhile their large amounts of money would be more beneficial towards other jobs. 

In conclusion, professional athletes deserve their fair share of money however their income is excessive; their salary has greatly increased recently, money would be beneficial towards crucial jobs, and benched players still get a hefty paycheck. Compensation should be put towards important and vital jobs, not the amount or quality of entertainment (Reed).