Bates admits to being in a bad head space

[*ochocincos*]

(11-15-2021, 06:24 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Ok, then he goes into FA and gets paid massive money if they don't franchise tag Bates (if he hadn't sucked so far this year). Again, he is getting paid either way so long as he just performs.

They haven't had a good safety who needed a contract since 2012. That's how long ago Reggie Nelson's deal was, and even then Nelson was coming off 1 good year after like 3 rough ones prior and was heading into his age 29 season. The Bengals also haven't paid a QB more than $16m/yr, too. I don't think Burrow is worried that he won't get paid if he performs. Seems strange to point out they haven't paid a position when they haven't had anyone they needed to pay at that position for quite some time, and the cap has increased by 50% (it'll be much more than 50% next year) since then. If they had multiple good safeties in their prime they let walk rather than pay, this $8m+ statement might actually mean something.

If Bates has blown $6.8m to the point that he's so tight on money that it's affecting his play this much, that's also not a good excuse. That'd be a huge red flag. 

Career ending injuries are very very rare. Alex Smith was in his mid-30s, had 17 surgeries, nearly died, and still came back. It's pretty damn rare to have a sudden career ending injury. He has a higher likelihood as an NFL player to kill someone and go to jail than to suffer a sudden career ending injury. So even if he somehow blew out his knee this season, he'd still be able to come back and earn a couple million in 2022 with the chance of a 10s of millions contract in 2023.


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No matter how you try to slice it, it's a bad look for a Team Captain to be performing poorly for 9 games because his head isn't in the game during a season where the team is trying to break a 5 season losing streak. Doubly so when the guy wants to be paid as one of the best.

I'm just saying it's not as much as it sounds when thinking about how long that would have to stretch if he were to not work again or invest it.

When I think of "live comfortably," I think of not ever having to work again if I didn't want to and not worrying about additional investment money coming in, all while doing the things I'd like to do and own.

If Bates never plays another down, he'd need his remaining money to cover the remaining 40+ years of his life.
If someone has an annual salary of $150k at the age of 25, they'll make $6 mill by the time they hit 65.

Depending on the person's definition of "living comfortably," making $150k might not be that comfortable if they want to have a nicer house, live in a more expensive city, go out to eat often, travel, etc.

For example, the median home price around Nashville, according to Zillow, is $368,567.
You're easily spending $450k+ for a nicer home.
If you wanted to live somewhere like Austin, TX, the median home cost is $550k.
The typical home value in LA is $913k.

On top of that, the $6.8 mill he's made in his 4 years was much higher taxed than if he had made $6.8 mill up the age of 65, so he actually would make less after taxes than someone who made the same money pre-tax across the span of 40 years.

Then you also have to account for inflation over the next 40 years, and that $6.8 mill could empty quicker than you'd think.