When NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. decided to make a bold statement about his financial future in 2021, he didn’t just catch passes — he caught bitcoin fever.
Partnering with Square CashApp, OBJ proudly announced he’d take his entire $4.25 million Los Angeles Rams salary for the 2021-2022 season in bitcoin (BTC).
Skeptics scoffed. bitcoin was trading at a respectable $57,400 in November 2021, and the move seemed like a moonshot. But for Beckham Jr., it was a “new era.” See below.
To celebrate both his new crypto-friendly paycheck and his move to the Rams, he promised to give away $1 million in bitcoin to fans via X (formerly known as Twitter).
Cue the avalanche of “thank you” tweets from followers thrilled by their newfound digital riches.
Fast-forward to earlier this month: Beckham Jr. made clear he was happy with his decision.
Beckham Jr. wasn’t alone in this cryptocurrency craze. He’s just one athlete on a growing roster of NFL players keen on swapping greenbacks for so-called digital gold.
Russell Okung
Before Beckham Jr. was Russell Okung. The offensive tackle got heat in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers by converting half his $13 million salary into bitcoin.
Okung’s announcement, “Paid in bitcoin,” went viral, positioning him as the NFL’s crypto pioneer. Little did he know he’d inspire a tidal wave of blockchain enthusiasm among his gridiron peers.
NFL executives and financial advisors — even his mother — reportedly tried to block Okung from taking the crypto plunge. But his insistence paid off.
Today, he is one of the founders of Bitball, a sports league venture that pays participating athletes in crypto.
Sean Culkin
In 2021, Sean Culkin — a tight end with the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens — became the first NFL player to convert his entire NFL salary into bitcoin upon joining the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I fully believe bitcoin is the future of finance and I wanted to prove that I have real skin in the game,” Culkin said in April 2021.
He was “not just trying to make a quick buck,” he added.
In March, he tweeted a shoutout to fellow crypto-bull Okung.
Trevor Lawrence
The former No. 1 draft pick signed with Blockfolio, a cryptocurrency portfolio tracking app, in 2021.
Lawrence, a quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, was rumored to have had his signing bonus paid entirely in cryptocurrency.
However, contrary to reports, that bonus was separate from his $24 million NFL deal. Misreporting led some to speculate that Lawrence lost $15 million due to the subsequent crypto market crash. Recall how the cryptocurrency market’s capitalization declined from $2.9 trillion in November 2021 to $798 billion at the end of 2022.
In reality, Lawrence’s NFL earnings remained untouched by the blockchain drama at the time.
Aaron Rodgers, Saquon Barkley and Demario Davis
Before he was quarterback for the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers partnered with Cash App in late 2021, choosing to receive part of his NFL salary in bitcoin.
That year, Saquon Barkley, the New York Giants running back, announced he’d convert all his off-field income into bitcoin, citing the importance of long-term wealth preservation.
An honorable mention goes to Demario Davis — a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints — who reportedly declared that fiat currency is “inherently unfair and corrupted.”
Ultimately, he did not accept his NFL contract in bitcoin. But in April this year, Davis expressed interest, calling it “the future of money.”
See below.
crypto’s end zone: Fumbling or scoring big?
While these NFL stars made headlines for their bitcoin paydays, the timing wasn’t exactly clutch.
bitcoin is enjoying all-time highs now, but recall its sharp nosedive after November 2021. After hitting a then-peak of nearly $69,000, rising interest rates, market over-speculation, and high-profile crypto crises like TerraUSD’s collapse and FTX’s bankruptcy contributed to its downfall.
By mid-2022, bitcoin’s value had fallen below $20,000, highlighting the risks of volatile investments, especially for those like NFL stars embracing crypto salaries.
