Cam Newton opens up about life after NFL and the struggles of losing income

Cam Newton, once one of the NFL’s most electrifying quarterbacks, is now tackling a challenge far off the field: the struggle of losing income.

At 35, Newton’s days as a professional athlete are behind him. After his one-year, $6 million contract with the Carolina Panthers expired in 2021, he officially stepped away from the game. Now, the former football star is candid about the financial realities of life after fame.

“Being in the NFL, everyone knows there’s a large sum of money that comes to you in a short span of time and being away from the game for three years, those checks don’t come in the same,” he said in a recent episode of Special Forces.

Newton admitted that the sudden drop in earnings has made it difficult for him to feel like “Superman” to his eight children.

“It hurts me knowing that I can’t provide like I once did,” the former pivot said on Instagram.

In a dynamic and volatile economy, it’s not just entrepreneurs and professional athletes who face sudden fluctuations in income — ordinary workers are struggling too.

In theory, a growing economy implies a thriving job market. However, many high-income workers have lost their jobs even as their industries continue to expand.

According to data from Layoffs.fyi, 384 technology companies have collectively laid off more than 124,000 employees in 2024 alone. This wave of job cuts follows significant disruptions in the tech industry during 2022 and 2023 — when a staggering 428,449 workers were let go. At the same time, the tech industry is seeing rapid growth in artificial intelligence adoption.

Similarly, 68% of financial firms reported an increase in staff turnover, and 50% of finance executives acknowledged layoffs in 2024, according to Fiverr.

In this difficult job market, many laid-off white-collar workers have struggled to replace their six-figure salaries and have settled for lower pay, according to Business Insider. Like Newton, many now face hard choices and uncomfortable adjustments to their lifestyle.

Story Continues