How Jimmy Garoppolo is spending his record $137.5M NFL contract
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 23: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass during the third quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23rd, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eu
Although NFL quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who suffered an injury last season, has been bumped as the highest-paid player in NFL history since signing his $137.5 million five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers last year, he claims he's been saving a majority of it.
"I'm a saver," Garoppolo told FOX Business during an interview on Wednesday. "[But] the financial stuff is definitely not my strong suit. So, I definitely had to get some people to help me with that."
The 27-year-old, who served as Tom Brady's backup during his first two seasons with New England Patriots, made headlines last February when he signed a record-breaking contract with San Francisco 49ers, earning him at the time a record $27.5 million per season with a whopping $74.1 million in guarantees and a $35 million signing bonus.
Garoppolo has since seen his contract fall to No. 6 on the NFL's list of biggest contracts, behind the likes of Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson ($35 million a year) and Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger ($34 million a year).
While the quarterback said he had to hire a "couple" of people to help him manage his cash, one of the first things he did was help out his three brothers and his parents by "setting them right."
"As far as helping my family, I do everything that I can for them," he said. "It is a blessed opportunity that I was given and I'm trying to help as many people as I can."
As for his first season with the 49ers coming to a screeching halt during the beginning of the season, he said the injury, which was a torn ACL, was actually a "blessing in disguise."
"That's what I keep telling myself," he said. "The whole process has been able to give me a different perspective on the game and see if from a different point of view."
He added that setbacks are inevitable in football and it is important to embrace those bumps.
Garoppolo said while he still has "a ways to go" heading into the next season, he feels that he is definitely on the right track and is starting to feel "normal" again.
On Wednesday, the NFL star teamed up with his dad, Tony, to participate in National Signing Day that encourages high school seniors to pursue careers in the skilled trades.
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His father, who is a retired electrician of 40 years, wanted to bring awareness to the more than 600,000 jobs in the skilled trades industry that go unfilled each year.
"We just wanted to get the word out that these jobs are out there and they are well-paid jobs to give people an opportunity to explore them," Tony Garoppolo said.
