How Patriots players reacted to Kylian MbappĂ©’s reported billion-dollar offer
"It’s crazy to see the money that’s out there and to see how great athletes are getting what they’re worth. You love seeing guys get paid."
A billion dollars is an incredible sum of money for a lifetime.
Forbes estimates that there are 735 billionaires in the United States. As of July 2022, the U.S. population was an estimated 333,287,557 according to the Census Bureau.
That means the odds of becoming a billionaire in this country are around 1 in 453,452.
According to multiple reports, Saudi Arabian soccer club Al-Hilal offered $1.1 billion to acquire soccer star Kylian Mbappé from French club Paris Saint-Germain. The proposed deal featured a reported $332 million transfer fee and a $775 million salary package.
Patriots defensive back Adrian Phillips said those numbers, along with the NBA-record $305 million supermax deal Jaylen Brown signed with the Celtics this week, make him want to consider training his son in sports other than football.
“Well, my first thought is my son is going to be playing soccer, basketball, or baseball,” Phillips said. “That’s my first thought. But, nah, it’s crazy to see the money that’s out there and to see how great athletes are getting what they’re worth. You love seeing guys get paid. You love seeing guys be successful, because usually when the guys at the top get it, it trickles on down so you want them to push the number as much as they can.”
Mbappé reportedly turned down the deal, which would have paid him several times more than the Patriots’ entire roster. New England’s highest-paid player is Matthew Judon, who has an $18,107,222 cap hit according to Spotrac.
Mbappé never considered transferring to a club in Saudi Arabia as an option, French magazine L’Equipe reports.
Patriots linebacker Josh Uche said there’s more to consider in contract discussions than just money.
“It all depends on your perspective,” Uche said. “Maybe money isn’t everything for them. Maybe it’s legacy or competition, you never know the different aspects or reasons, but money isn’t everything to some people. Some people have enough money, they’re comfortable. So that might be his reason. I don’t know, but good for him having that option.”
Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, whose contract expires at the end of this season, said he prefers to stay focused on football rather than talk about salaries in other sports.
“That ain’t got nothing to do with me, you know what I mean?” Dugger said. “That’s great for them. It really is good to see them capitalize like that, but I’m playing football so I’ve got to stay over here.”
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