NFL Stars and the Bitcoin Craze: Risky Business or Genius Moves?

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.

NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. made waves in 2021 when he announced that he would be taking his entire Los Angeles Rams salary for the 2021-2022 season in Bitcoin (BTC). At the time, Bitcoin was trading at a respectable $57,400. Skeptics scoffed, seeing the move as a risky moonshot. But for Beckham Jr., it was the start of a “new era.”

“It’s a NEW ERA & to kick that off I’m hyped to announce that I’m taking my new salary in bitcoin thanks to @CashApp. To ALL MY FANS out there, no matter where u r: THANK YOU! I’m giving back a total of $1M in BTC rn too. Drop your $cashtag w. #OBJBTC & follow @CashApp NOW,” Beckham Jr. tweeted.

In celebration of both his 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. tweeted on December 5.

Beckham Jr. isn’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.

Here are six NFL stars who chose crypto over cash. Maybe they’ll inspire you to make 2023 the year you finally start saving for retirement. Or not. Maybe just don’t tell your financial advisor.

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.

“Paid in Bitcoin,” Okung’s announcement 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.

“when I said ‘pay me in Bitcoin’, it was just the beginning

announcing: @playBITBALL. 12.10.24, Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi

@bitcoinmenaconf ticket holders attend free,” Okung tweeted.

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.

“Here’s to the crazy ones @RussellOkung,” Culkin tweeted.

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.

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.”

“Grateful to @lipscomb and @BitcoinMagazine for having me come talk all things Bitcoin. Learn why Bitcoin is the future of money,” Davis tweeted.

While these NFL stars made headlines