Haha, I'm sorry, but no. The NFL contract is 4 years for 1.8 million, or whatever it actually is. Not 18 years long, four years long. If you make 1.8 million in four years - and invest wisely - you're better off than most people.
I said a 22 year old who makes 1.8 mill in his first 4 years of work cant retire. I didnt say he can't invest it wisely and be in good financial shape.
I was responding to the idea that those 4 years would set him up for life.
Break it down. Lets be generous and say he gets to keep 1mill out of the 1.8 after taxes, again making the HUGE assumption he has a 4 (or even 1) year career.
He wants to buy a house, right? Lets say he doesnt go nuts and pays $300,000 for a house to live in for many years and raise a family.
700k left
Now he must buy a car. He must furnish the house. I find it hard to believe a 22 year old who just signed a 1.8mill contract buys a Buick, but lets just say all that is only 50k.
Most NFL players in some way spend money on their family (buy mom a house or a car, etc) Lets call that 50k.
600k left.
Deadrick also has to LIVE and pay his expenses each month for those 4 years. I will ignore the fact that you run with a crowd where the top players make 10 mill a year, and say he only spends 50,000 a year on various expenses. (In reality its probably 5 times that for 80% of the players) 50000x 4 is another 200k.
So at age 26 his career is over, he lived frugally owns his house and has $400,000 in the bank.
Anyone who thinks he can retire on that is either out of their mind, still lives with Mom and Dad or has never raised a family.
If we assume he has started a family by then, if he tries to retire on it he is broke by 30.
Sure, he will have a house and some money in the bank, but he also will be going from a 400k a year income to an immediate drop to what? 50,000? He will be an entry level 26 year old in whatever field he got his degree in, if he got one.
In the end, IF he is disciplined, if he sticks for 4 years, he will have a decent house in a nice neighborhood, will have lived pretty well for 4 years, can go find a job and will have his kids college money saved.