Why don’t they fund their on pension. They are making millions per year.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/01/heres-what-the-average-nfl-players-makes-in-a-season.html
“The minimum annual salary for a rookie active roster player with a one-year contract is $480,000, according to the collective bargaining agreement the NFL signed in 2011 with the NFL Players Association, which will be in effect until 2020.
That minimum increases for each year a player spends in the NFL. A player with three years experience would command a salary equal to at least $705,000, while players with seven to nine years on the field must be paid at least $915,000.”
First-string stars make millions. The grunts make a few hundred K, and are replaced within a year or two with younger players unless they show promise of becoming a star.