# When do NFL draftees start earning their paycheck...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-nfl-draftees-start-earning-their-paycheck/71894
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 10, 2001, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-nfl-draftees-start-earning-their-paycheck/71894 "2001-07-10T01:14:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2001, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-nfl-draftees-start-earning-their-paycheck/71894/1 "2001-07-10T01:14:21Z")
Let me rephrase…when do they start getting money? According to [this](http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2001/0709/1223990.html) article, the first round draft pick of the Giants had $150,000 of jewelry stolen from him. He just graduated; I’d assume the Giants may have had one minicamp or something. Shoot, he’s probably not even signed a contract yet.
Do NFL players get paid through the year (my guess is they get paid by the game)? And if so, when does that start? Would this guy have gotten an advance from his agent, at some outrageous interest rate?
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-nfl-draftees-start-earning-their-paycheck/71894/2 "2001-07-10T02:20:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by johnson \*
> \*\*Let me rephrase…when do they start getting money? According to [this](http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2001/0709/1223990.html) article, the first round draft pick of the Giants had $150,000 of jewelry stolen from him. He just graduated; I’d assume the Giants may have had one minicamp or something. Shoot, he’s probably not even signed a contract yet.
>
> Do NFL players get paid through the year (my guess is they get paid by the game)? And if so, when does that start? Would this guy have gotten an advance from his agent, at some outrageous interest rate? \*\*
It’s possible that he got a signing bonus the day that he signed his contract. The bonus could have been well over a million dollars.
Haj
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### Author:  [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-nfl-draftees-start-earning-their-paycheck/71894/3 "2001-07-10T02:24:21Z")
::smacks forehead::
Signing bonus!
**D’oh**
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2001, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-nfl-draftees-start-earning-their-paycheck/71894/4 "2001-07-10T05:22:51Z")
**Don’t call me _johnson_**
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### Author:  [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2001, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-nfl-draftees-start-earning-their-paycheck/71894/5 "2001-07-10T07:09:35Z")
Also, first round draft picks are given a great deal of credit at most establishments. ESPN’s _Outside The Lines_ followed around a NBA lottery pick. He was able to take home all sorts of expensive items, even though he hadn’t been signed yet and had no money. Merely the promise of a big contract was enough to convince people to extend him credit.