What Are the Most Common Post-NFL Professions Of Players?

Hello football clan, a fresh week comes with a fresh set of stories about how money is shifting the market.

…if you haven’t yet.

In this newsletter we will cover:

A proposed ownership transfer within the New York Giants is valuing the franchise at $10.8 billion, continuing the rapid rise in NFL team prices.

The deal involves members of the Tisch family—Steve Tisch, Jonathan Tisch, and Laurie Tisch—shifting about 23.1% of the team to their children. Based on the valuation, that stake is worth roughly $2.5 billion.

This isn’t an isolated jump.

Recent transactions across the league suggest even higher numbers. For example, Stephen Ross sold a 1% stake in the Miami Dolphins at a valuation of $12.5 billion, setting a new benchmark.

The Giants deal is notable because it’s not a full sale, it’s an internal transfer. But even without an open-market transaction, the implied valuation reflects how consistently NFL franchise prices have climbed into the $10B+ range.

Reports indicate that while Steve Tisch may give up his equity stake, he is expected to remain involved with the team in a leadership role.

Here is the updated valuation of all NFL teams in 2026↗. (Internal transactions not counted)

Terrence Murphy’s NFL career was short. His business career wasn’t.

Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2005, Murphy signed a five-year, $3.4 million deal. An early injury ended his time in the league, but within a year, he had already started investing, beginning with real estate in Texas.

Murphy’s business foundation started early.

Raised by a single mother, he launched a lawn mowing business at age 12, building a work ethic that carried through his time at Texas A&M University, where he became a standout wide receiver before entering the NFL.

After football, he focused on real estate.

Alongside his wife Erica (Why Do So Many NFL Wives End Up In Real Estate?), Murphy co-founded TM5 Properties, developing student housing and residential projects in Texas. The company scaled quickly:

At the same time, Murphy continued building his own portfolio, including close to 1,000 rental units and dozens of high-value property deals.

From there, the strategy expanded beyond real estate.

Through Terrence Murphy Companies, he moved into venture investing, backing businesses across construction, sports, and technology. His portfolio includes companies like Hello Alice, which has distributed millions in grants to entrepreneurs.

Across his portfolio↗:

Murphy says he has now built, acquired, or invested in 110 companies.

His latest move extends into sports ownership.

Murphy is part of the ownership group for Atlético Dallas, a soccer club set to join the United Soccer League Championship in 2027.

Most fans assume former NFL players stay in football or move into media.

The data shows something different.

The most common path is entrepreneurship, with about 20% of players becoming business owners, the largest single group.

Close behind:

In total, nearly 1 out of every 2 players move into business, sales, or finance.

The rest of the paths are much smaller.

Only 5% stay in sports, and just 3% to 4% work in media, including podcasting—even with companies like ESPNproducing constant football content, as per statista.

Podcasting feels bigger than it is because a few well-known players dominate attention. For most, it’s a side project, not a career.

The shift toward business is largely structural.

The average NFL career lasts 3 to 4 years, so players need a second career early. Many also leave with enough capital to start businesses.

Over time, more move in that direction:

In just over five months, Louisiana State University has committed more than $200 million to rebuild its football and men’s basketball programs.

The spending started with a major decision, moving on from head football coach Brian Kelly. LSU initially explored firing him “for cause” to avoid paying his full buyout, but ultimately paid the full $54 million in November 2025.

From there, the program reset became aggressive.

LSU hired Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss, paying a $3 million buyout and signing him to a 7-year, $91 million contract(about $13 million per year). Alongside that, LSU spent at least $40 million in the transfer portal, bringing in around 40 new players to reshape the roster immediately.

At that point alone, LSU’s football overhaul had already pushed spending close to $190 million.

Then came basketball.

LSU moved on from Matt McMahon, owing him an $8 million buyout, and hired Will Wade from NC State. That required a $4 million buyout plus a new 7-year, $30 million contract.

On top of that, LSU is expected to commit $12–15 million annually toward its basketball roster.

What stands out isn’t just the total, it’s how the money is allocated.

This is a full reset across two major programs, funded upfront, which shows that the top tier college teams are operating very much like the NFL teams, who want success fast.

The takeaway

LSU isn’t making incremental changes. It’s committing over $200 million to rebuild football and basketball at the same time, using buyouts, contracts, and roster spending to accelerate the process.

Early in free agency, a clear pattern has emerged across the NFL, more players are signing three-year contracts.

It may seem like a small shift, but it changes how deals actually work.

Most NFL contracts aren’t fully guaranteed. Once a deal moves past its guaranteed years, teams can move on with little downside if a player underperforms. But if a player outperforms the contract, teams often resist renegotiating.

That creates an imbalance.

Shorter deals help address it.

A three-year contract gives players a quicker path back to the market, where they can reset their value based on performance. It reduces the risk of being tied to later years that may no longer reflect their worth.

In that sense, shorter deals function as a partial solution in a system where fully guaranteed contracts are still rare.

What’s notable is that this shift hasn’t come from a formal rule change or negotiation.

It’s happening organically.

As more three-year deals get signed, they start to set a precedent, making it harder for teams to consistently push for longer four- or five-year contracts in free agency.

Things are starting to heat up so stay tuned and wait for our issue next week for more interesting stories like this.

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