Russell Okung is Now the ‘Highest-Paid Player in the NFL’ After Being Paid in Bitcoin

Carolina Panthers O-Lineman Russell Okung was ahead of the curve when it comes to getting paid. The former Seattle Seahawks player made sure to get paid just how he wanted, and that was in cryptocurrency. Back in December, Okung decided that he wanted half of his $13 million contract for 2020 in Bitcoin.

An NFL first: #Panthers OT Russell Okung will receive half of his $13M in salary in Bitcoin. As part of a partnership with @in_strike and thanks to creative payroll solutions from the #Panthers, @russellokung will fulfill the goal he set when he tweeted “Pay me in Bitcoin!”

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 29, 2020

He got his wish when he asked to be “paid” in Bitcoin.

Paid in Bitcoin. https://t.co/Ey6oOcmLjA

— OKUNG (@RussellOkung) December 29, 2020

Now with Bitcoin on the rise, his payday has gone way up.

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Via Bitcoin.com:

“For instance, when BTC hit $44k, the half of his contract that is paid in BTC climbed to $10.59 million, at $56k+ his half turned into more than his entire quoted salary. As far as 2020 NFL salary stats are concerned, Okung has entered the top five position. However, the NFL has recently decided to cap the league’s salaries at $180 million and a ball player’s contract could change in 2021. Because the Carolina Panthers’ offensive tackle (OT) gets half of his salary in BTC, many proponents think of him as the highest-paid player in the NFL and not just ahead of the highest-paid OTs.”

One person went as far as to state that Okung is now the “highest-paid player in the NFL”.

Twitter reacted:

You are the highest paid player in the NFL. Simply by taking your salary in a different unit of value. Amazing. Will not be long before your peers catch on.

— TravLovesParabolas (@TravLoves) February 19, 2021

You are the highest paid player in the NFL. Simply by taking your salary in a different unit of value. Amazing. Will not be long before your peers catch on.

— TravLovesParabolas (@TravLoves) February 19, 2021

While y’all playing football @russellokung is playing chess. https://t.co/giBmbuov7A

— Jason A. Williams 🦍 (@GoingParabolic) February 18, 2021

Russell Okung is a genius. He's made so much money from just one check.

— Rashi (@rashimitch) February 19, 2021

Okung is the first NFL player to have a portion of his contract in Bitcoin.

Genius move.

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