11 Jun 2026 09:33:40
Just to put footballers wages into context, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs has just signed a contract that will see him earn around £920k per week (plus bonuses) in a sport that sees you play a maximum of 21 games across a season that only lasts 6 months.
11 Jun 2026 09:47:40
Interesting comparison across sports, I know nothing about NFL, but is this chap the equivalent of a Galactico?
I guess you could say that with the popularity of NFL in the US, and the fact they tend to have much larger stadia and a population that's multiples of our own, the broadcasting rights alone would probably be multiples higher than our deals with Sky/TNT etc?
They are crazy numbers, but it's entertainment for billions of people.
Interesting discussion.
11 Jun 2026 09:52:03
Mahomes is absolutely a galactico.
11 Jun 2026 10:09:48
Have a look at baseball. The salaries and transfer prices are even higher. In a sport where you are considered world class or a galactico when you successfully hit the ball only around 30% of the time.
11 Jun 2026 10:22:59
At least you can get a bit more value for money in baseball with up to 184 games per season!
11 Jun 2026 10:28:51
I consider baseball differently to NFL because they play about 150 games over the course of 6 months, so on a per game basis their salary is probably lower than NFL.
Then again, baseball players don't get consistently hammered by giant men in both training and games, so it's difficult to make the comparison.
At the end of the day, if the money wasn't there, the salaries would be lower in all sports. TV money, and the increased costs of being a supporter, mean they'll only ever go up.
11 Jun 2026 10:52:09
Yeah, if you have the right QB and the right head coach you can win with decent players in other positions.
Mahomes is one of the most valuable QBs.
11 Jun 2026 11:05:14
Injury risk in NFL is obscene in comparison to football. NFL play a lot less games, but the risk of injury is a big part of what pumps the prices up.
11 Jun 2026 11:19:43
Pfft. American Football is just catching for joggers wearing crash helmets.
11 Jun 2026 11:52:21
Never got into any of the American sports. They always seem a bit on the silly side or incredibly boring.
11 Jun 2026 12:35:25
And he's only on the pitch for half the time as well.
11 Jun 2026 12:37:55
Don't forget the ball is only in play for about 10 minutes of the 60-minute game, which actually takes more than 3 hours to complete.
11 Jun 2026 12:42:53
Kermit the Frog has always had large wages, hasn't he? Could this be the new name for a new wonder dog, Sparky? Miss that puppy.
11 Jun 2026 12:48:33
NFL games only take that long because of all the advertising. Which is the reason the media rights are so expensive. Last year the highest rated TV "programs" were all NFL. But you are right, Chewy. I love the Pittsburgh Steelers. I can't sit down and just watch a game any longer. Have to be doing something else as well.
11 Jun 2026 13:07:28
Don't forget that NFL don't pay transfer fees. They make trades for other players and draft picks, plus I believe the television rights are huge. Mahomes is the big name these days, so will always be one of the highest earners.
Also, the first 5 years of a player's career they are on a rookie contract which I broke means they never earn more than $1,000,000 a season, then after that, they can earn the really big money.
11 Jun 2026 13:10:38
American sports viewing is awful.
Adverts all over the place, even during the game, they will cut the screen in half to show some god awful medical advert.
Disgusting.
11 Jun 2026 14:27:31
420FL, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys, for me.
11 Jun 2026 16:37:49
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals for me. Lived in Cincinnati for 15 years.