MoneyBallers | Breakdown on Contracts, Media Deals, Franchise Values, and the Business of the NFL

In the NFL, Rookie deals are the closest thing to GOLD. They give you more flexibility, allow for more creative roster moves, more free agency and trade aggression, and can open entire title windows. The best front offices take advantage of these Rookie deal windows with all of the above, and know how to create the structure, culture, and habits to maintain success when those high-end rookies beco...

The Steelers paid a lot of veteran players this offseason, in addition to making some big time trades. They chose to kick the can down the road once again so that they could be competitive this year, but have they sacrificed future plans for the team? It's hard to ride the line of building for now and the future in this league, and this is the Steelers version of that. Has it worked? If you like t...

Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers were happily going along until a massive contract dispute, an injury, and a series of bizarre behavioral events completely took them off course. Now, the team has voided future guarantees for Aiyuk and it leaves them in a stalemate moving forward. Will the team trade him, cut him, or try to mend the relationship? We break down what the 49ers can do with hi...

The NFL isn’t just winning on the field — it’s winning in the cloud. Today’s episode dives into how the league captures every inch, angle, and acceleration using sensors, RFID chips, and AI-powered models. We’ll break down the tech behind Next Gen Stats, the origins of the Digital Athlete project, and how player movement has become one of the most valuable raw materials in all of professional spor...

In today’s NFL, the salary cap isn’t just a number — it’s a mirror reflecting what teams value most. Quarterbacks dominate the financial landscape, with record-breaking contracts that regularly reset the market. But just behind them, another position has surged into elite territory: edge rushers. In this episode, we break down why these defensive stars are now the second-highest-paid players in fo...

This week on Moneyballers, we break down the biggest trades from the 2025 NFL trade deadline — not by hype, but by financial impact. From the Jets’ franchise-shaking double move that sent Sauce Gardner to the Colts and Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys, to contender upgrades like Jaelan Phillips landing in Philly and Dre’Mont Jones joining the Ravens, we follow the money behind every deal. You’ll he...

When an NFL team fires its coach, fans see drama — owners see a bill. Behind every midseason pink slip is a complex web of guarantees, offset clauses, and payouts that can stretch into the tens of millions. In this episode, Zach Quinn breaks down how NFL coaching contracts really work — from guaranteed salaries and “duty-to-mitigate” clauses to the ripple effects on staff, sponsors, and team finan...

Every Super Bowl win feels like the peak — but for owners and front offices, it’s really the launchpad. Winning multiplies everything: ticket prices, merchandise sales, sponsorship deals, even real estate value around the stadium. In this episode, Zach breaks down how dominance on the field becomes exponential growth off of it — and why dynasties like the Cowboys, Patriots, Steelers, and Chiefs ar...

The NFL isn’t just America’s game anymore — it’s becoming the world’s. From Munich to São Paulo to Madrid, the league’s global push is generating hundreds of millions in revenue, reshaping how football operates, and redefining what “home field” even means. In this episode of Moneyballers, we break down the NFL’s overseas expansion — why it’s happening, how much it costs, and which countries are em...

We have a very special guest on the show today - Kyle Shurtz of Avalaunch Media! Kyle takes on the NFL money machine from a marketing perspective and has tons of interesting tidbits to share.  Kyle and Zach talk about the Dallas Cowboys and how Jerry Jones continues to win without the team needing to win themselves, how he would turn other franchises into media empires, and if Roger Goodell could...

What if the NFL didn’t stop at 32? What if, by 2030, there were 33 or even 34 teams? It sounds like fantasy, but the league is already studying what expansion might look like — and the price tag is staggering. In this episode, Zach breaks down the billion-dollar blueprint behind adding a new franchise: the expansion fees, the stadium politics, and the logistical puzzle of building an NFL team from...

Logos. Everywhere you look — on the field, in the stands, even in the Gatorade you drink. But behind every logo is a check, and behind every check is a billion-dollar business model. In this episode, Zach breaks down how sponsorships quietly bankroll the NFL — from naming rights that fetch $20 million a year to exclusive “official partner” deals that lock entire industries out of the game. You’ll...

From black-and-white TVs to billion-dollar streaming rights, the NFL’s rise has always been powered by the screen. In this episode, Zach breaks down how the league turned television into its greatest revenue machine — starting with the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act that made national TV deals legal, through Monday Night Football’s prime-time revolution, Fox’s audacious 1994 coup, and today’s stream...

When an NFL team unveils shiny renderings of its new billion-dollar home, the first question fans should ask is simple: who’s paying for it? In this episode, Zach Quinn digs into the business blueprint behind America’s football cathedrals — how public-private partnerships are structured, why cities agree to fund them, and what those cost splits really look like once the bonds, taxes, and naming ri...

Ever wonder how a team that loses half its free agents somehow walks into the draft with ten picks? That’s the NFL’s secret stock market at work — compensatory picks. In this week’s episode of Moneyballers, we’re breaking down one of the most misunderstood tools in roster building: what comp picks are, why the league created them, and how front offices have quietly turned them into goldmines. We’l...

The Cincinnati Bengals have approximately 1/3 of their cap tied up in 3 players. 2 of which are star wide receivers. This has NEVER been done before. Is it becasue no team has had the kind of talent Cincinnati does, or because it's just plain stupid cap management? We'll dive into historical examples, recent comparisons, and some suggestions for the Bengals to even out their team.  We mentioned da...

The NFL used to be anti-gambling. Now, they're all in on this new market for monetization. On top of that, they're thinking about expansion in a myriad of ways: streaming, international markets, and more! How do these decisions get made, and what are the intended AND unintended consequences? Neil Schwartz joins the show to walk us through it! Neil is the President of SBRnet, a research and data an...

When you think of NFL business, it’s easy to picture the Dallas Cowboys at the top — the $10B empire that won’t stop growing. But what about the other end of the spectrum? Who’s at the bottom of the valuation rankings, and what does it really mean to be the “least valuable” team in a league where even last place is worth over $5 billion? In this episode, Zach Quinn digs into the numbers, the marke...

Former BYU and New Orleans Saints Linebacker Sae Tautu joins Zach on MoneyBallers to share his journey from the gridiron to entrepreneurship. After battling injuries himself, Sae now operates Ortho Athlete, a performance and orthopedic recovery organization built to give athletes access to top-tier care, rehab, and prevention services. He also founded The Pursuit Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated...

The NFL’s practice squads might not get Sunday night highlights, but they’re the backbone of every roster. From undrafted rookies grinding for a shot to seasoned vets keeping their careers alive, practice squads are where opportunity meets survival. This episode of Moneyballers pulls back the curtain on how these squads work, who qualifies, and why they’ve quietly become one of the league’s most i...

NFL referees might not be household names, but they’re making six-figure salaries and competing for the biggest payday of their careers: a Super Bowl assignment. In this episode of Moneyballers, we break down exactly how much referees make, how playoff and Super Bowl bonuses work, and what it really takes to get chosen for the biggest stage in football. We also go inside the replay booth — the hid...

The NFL doesn’t just own Sundays—it owns holidays, too. In this episode of Moneyballers, we’re breaking down which holidays the league values most when it comes to scheduling, TV rights, and revenue. From Thanksgiving’s historic triple-headers to Christmas Day’s growing influence, we’ll pull back the curtain on why certain dates carry more weight in the NFL’s financial playbook. We’ll compare how...

For decades, the second round of the NFL Draft came with a catch: you’d get drafted high enough to be a priority player, but not high enough to demand the kinds of guarantees first-rounders received. That changed this year. For the first time in league history, second-round picks pushed for — and got — fully guaranteed contracts. And the ripple effects could change how teams value every draft slot...

The NFL is back — and Week 1 isn’t just football, it’s big business. In this episode of Moneyballers, Zach breaks down why opening weekend is one of the league’s most valuable assets. From billion-dollar TV rights and record ad rates, to sky-high ticket sales and luxury suite revenue, to the explosion of legal sports betting, Week 1 is a financial machine like no other. We’ll also dive into how pl...

NFL agents are some of the most powerful — and misunderstood — players in the business of football. In this episode of Moneyballers, Zach Quinn pulls back the curtain on how agents actually operate, from structuring contracts and playing hardball with owners to working within the rules of the NFLPA. We dive deep into why agents are crucial in CBA negotiations, why they often clash with teams, and...