I get that but there’s a few key things to consider when we’re all pointing out how much money these guys make:

1) the way marginal tax rates work, what Baun takes home for $3.5M over 1 year is a hell of a lot less than what someone who makes $100k would take home over 35 years (obviously there’s a counteracting benefit to receiving all that money up front, though, due to the time value of money, but not equivalent to the taxes paid).

2) Most Americans see their earning potential go up for the vast majority of their careers due to greater experience and advancement in their workplaces. NFL players will essentially stop being able to make that kind of money at age 35 (maybe a tad later if you’re a QB or kicker). And that’s generous–career ending or threatening injuries can strike at quite literally any time. It is not ridiculous to suggest that they maximize earnings now when they have the chance.

3) When your favorite NFL player takes a pay cut that money is going somewhere, and it’s not to you or me. Either some old billionaire who possibly just inherited the team and all their money (like half the NFL’s owners) gets to pocket some more, or it goes to some other player who may not deserve it as much based on his performance. So the “sacrifice” made really just benefits some other rich person. I suppose you could argue the fans benefit if a team can stay together, but I know Philly fans–if a player isn’t performing to their contract we are not at all hesitant to want the team to jettison that guy. We’re definitely not “owed” any hometown discounts.

One year of work done by the top 0.01% of a specific slice of the labor force all the while putting your body through such strain and stress the quality and length of one’s life is likely reduced/compromised.

This is kind of a tired argument in my opinion