Alright, listen up, y’all. We gonna talk about them football fellas, the ones in stripes, not the ones tossin’ the pigskin. We’re talkin’ about how much them referees get paid in the NFL, you know, the big bucks league. I heard folks whisperin’ about it, so I figured I’d spill the beans, the way I see it.
Now, they don’t just hand out this money like candy, no sir. It’s a whole thing, see? They got their secrets, these football bigwigs. Can’t just go around tellin’ everyone how much money they’re shovelin’ out. But, you know, word gets around, like how them chickens get loose in the yard, you can’t keep everything a secret forever.
I heard tell some of these refs, the top dogs, they make a pretty penny. We’re talkin’ serious cash, the kind that can buy ya a whole lotta cows, maybe even a new tractor. They say a fella named Walt Anderson, before he hung up his whistle in 2019, was makin’ somethin’ like $250,000 a year. That’s a quarter of a million dollars, y’all! Imagine that! Enough to keep you in grits and gravy for a good long while.
And it ain’t just him, no siree. There’s other fellas too, like Brad Allen and Craig Wrolstad, they’re up there too, rakin’ in the dough. Same kinda money, they say. Big money for blowin’ a whistle and throwin’ them yellow flags, I tell ya. I reckon they gotta be good at what they do, though, keepin’ them big ol’ boys in line and makin’ sure the game is fair and square.
Now, they say the average NFL referee, not the fancy ones, but the regular fellas, they still do alright. They pullin’ in somethin’ like $200,000 to $250,000 a year. That ain’t chicken feed, that’s a good livin’, especially if you’re smart with your money. Buy yourself a nice little farm, raise some chickens, maybe get a few goats. That’s the life, I tell ya.
But hold on, there’s more. If you’re lucky enough to get picked to ref the Super Bowl, that’s the big game, the one everyone watches, well, then you’re in for a real treat. They give you extra cash, a bonus, like a little cherry on top of your sundae. We’re talkin’ an extra $30,000 to $50,000 just for workin’ that one game! Can you believe it? That’s more money than some folks make in a whole year! Heck, that’s enough to buy a brand new pickup truck, with all the bells and whistles.
So, you see, these refs, they ain’t just some guys in stripes. They’re professionals, and they get paid real well for their trouble. They gotta know the rules inside and out, gotta be quick on their feet, gotta make tough calls under pressure. And they gotta deal with them angry coaches yellin’ in their faces, that ain’t easy, let me tell ya.
- Highest Paid Referees: Walt Anderson, Brad Allen, and Craig Wrolstad were among the top earners, making around $250,000 annually.
- Average Referee Salary: Regular NFL referees make between $200,000 and $250,000 per year.
- Super Bowl Bonus: Referees selected for the Super Bowl get an extra $30,000 to $50,000.
Now, I heard tell that over in Europe, them soccer refs, they make good money too. In Spain, they call it La Liga, them fellas make even more than the NFL refs, can you believe it? Something like 250,000 euros a year, which is a whole lot of money in any language. But that’s a story for another day. We’re talkin’ about American football here, the best darn sport there is, if you ask me.
So, there you have it, the lowdown on how much them NFL referees make. It’s a good gig, if you can get it. But you gotta be tough, gotta be smart, and you gotta be able to handle the pressure. And you gotta love football, I reckon. ‘Cause standin’ out there on that field, under them bright lights, with all them folks watchin’, that ain’t for the faint of heart. It takes a special kinda person, a person who can keep their cool and make the right call, even when everyone’s screamin’ at ‘em.
And let me tell you somethin’ else, these referees, they earn every penny. They’re the unsung heroes of the game, the ones who keep things fair and make sure everyone plays by the rules. They may not be throwin’ touchdowns or makin’ tackles, but they’re just as important as the players, maybe even more so. So next time you’re watchin’ a game, and you see that ref throw a flag, don’t go yellin’ at your TV. Just remember, that fella’s workin’ hard, and he’s gettin’ paid pretty well to do it, and he deserves every cent. That’s all I gotta say about that. Now, where’d I put my sweet tea…