My buddy and I were discussing the other day if NFL players actually work for the NFL, and we got into a pretty heated discussion. I couldn’t help but think of all the hard work these athletes put out for us to witness, and it was pretty amazing to think that the NFL is essentially their job.
The thing that confused us was the difference between an Employee and an Independent Contractor. Are NFL players really Employees? Does the NFL provide them with a salary, or are they self-sufficient? Do they get paid for their performance or just have to suck it up no matter how well they do? We had a lot of questions we just weren’t sure of.
After doing some research, I realized that NFL players aren’t exactly ’employees’ of the NFL, but they are more like independent contractors. They aren’t given a salary, but they realize money from performance-based bonuses. The team signs them to a contract and pays them a predetermined salary to play football. This salary is determined by the team’s owners, managers, and other stakeholders.
The whole idea of Independent Contractors paid through performance bonuses is an interesting one. It’s easy to recognize that a player who performs well will get a bigger paycheck than one who performs substandard. This really creates players that are motivated to strive for excellence.
What really struck me was that NFL players don’t just work for the NFL season. During the off-season, they have to keep in shape, study playbook, attend conferences, and more. This is what really brings the idea of ‘work’. They aren’t just doing it for fun but for their paycheck and performance bonuses.
NFL players also must pay attention to their image. If they do something wrong that reflects badly on the team, there can be serious repercussions. Teams also have the power to void contracts, terminate contracts, and change contracts. So there is definitely a sense of ‘work’ here too.
On top of all that, NFL players also have to do plenty of PR work for their team. They often have to attend interviews, articles, photo shoots, and more so that they can promote their team. This is yet another way in which they ‘work’ for the NFL and in many ways, it is just as important as the playing on the field.
So all in all, NFL players may not be traditional ’employees’ of the NFL, but many of the things they do still fall into the category of ‘work.’ They are incentivized to perform well and they have to put in the effort off the field in order to stay in shape and promote their team. They don’t work the same hours or have the same stability of job security as traditional employees, but they do get paid for their performance and the value they bring to the team and the NFL. It’s a job like any other, and NFL players work hard to uphold their reputation.