Business And Personal Finance Lessons From NFL Playoff Games

I have a passion for personal finance.

And I enjoy watching NFL football games immensely.

It’s great when I can write about both football and personal finance in the same post.

There is a reason why I named this blog Sport of Money.

I believe personal finance and sports have many things in common.

To succeed in both – you need to be disciplined, consistent, flexible, determined, hardworking and have a great plan.

I also like that they are both measurable and you can tell if you are winning or losing.

Who doesn’t like being able to keep track of progress?

Because of my passion for personal finance, I look for lessons I can take away from sports that can be applied to the business world.

That is the reason why I’ve written in the past about the 9 investing lessons from Tiger Woods and his comeback win at the Masters. Or the time I wrote about the 8 personal finance lessons from the $500 million dollar man, Patrick Mahomes. And more recently, I wrote about the 7 lessons from Tom Brady for financial success.

For some reason, I see personal finance lessons in other things as well. I even took business lessons away from watching Game of Thrones.

With the NFL having completed their divisional round playoff games this past weekend, I reflected back on the games.

And in my moment of reflection, I came across lessons from those games that can be applied to personal finance and business.

Lesson #1: Self-Improvement Is Extremely Important, In Both Personal Finance And Sports

I believe the key to happiness is defined by how much I can grow.

I want to grow and improve in many facets of life, including professional and in my business\financial knowledge.

You should always look to better yourself.

That’s what Jalen Hurts, the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, did.

He flashed signs of brilliance during the NFL season last year. But it wasn’t enough to quiet the critics.

People were still questioning if Jalen Hurts is the future of the Eagles franchise or if that team should look for a new quarterback.

There were certainly weaknesses in Jalen’s game and his performance during last year’s sole playoff game was abysmal.

However, he spent the whole offseason working on his craft. Other NFL players might have taken time to relax, travel, spend time with family, and get their minds away from football.

But not Jalen Hurts. He continuously worked on improving himself all off-season. And it showed during his play this year.

Jalen led his team to the best record in the NFL this year. Additionally, there was a stretch during this season when he was the betting favorite to win league MVP.

He also just led the Eagles to a playoff win against the New Year Giants. In fact, it wasn’t just a win, it was a tour de force beatdown.

Undoubtedly now, Jalen is the right quarterback for the team. He has silenced the critics and has secured his position as the franchise quarterback for many years to come in Philadelphia.

Be like Jalen Hurts and continuously look to improve.

Lesson #2: A Great Manager\Leader Can Make Or Break Your Career

How important is aligning yourself with the right manager? It can either make or break your career.

I’ve been a superstar in my career and a complete bust in my career. The difference in my result is the person leading the team.

Strong leaders produce strong results in which everyone benefits in the team. They also get rewarded with the biggest slice of the financial pie and can compensate their team members well.

Good managers can also elevate your performance and put you in a position to be successful.

Conversely, a bad manager can derail your career. They offer no protection against layoffs or opportunities to forge strong relationships with key clients or people within the organization.

You don’t have to look any further for examples of this than some of the NFL teams that made the playoffs.

Daniel Jones, the quarterback for the NY Giants, was turnover prone in previous years. There were talks about Daniel Jones being a bust.

Lucky for him, the Giants hired a new head coach this year.

Brian Daboll, the new head coach of the NY Giants, worked with Daniel Jones on limiting his mistakes.

Because of Brian, Daniel Jones limited his turnovers this year and performed the best Daniel has done since he started playing in the NFL.

Brian also changed the culture of the football team. The Giants improved their win total by 5 games this year, made the playoff, and won 1 playoff game.

Now there are talks about giving Daniel Jones a multi-year contract.

What a great year for both Daniel Jones and the NY Giants and they were able to achieve this because they were led by a great head coach.

You should always aim to align yourself with someone great for maximum positive results.

Lesson #3: Being Part Of A Great Team Makes Everything Easier

In addition to having worked for varying managers, I’ve been part of some great teams and some weak teams.

And I can tell you that life in a great team makes everything so much easier.

Be part of a great team and you get the benefit of that good reputation even as a newcomer to that team. It’s no different than when we all immediately associate smarts with being a Harvard graduate.

The converse is also true. It is guilt by association if you are part of a bad team.

Everyone lifts each other up on a great team led by a great leader. You don’t have to worry about picking up the slack of another team member.

Your team members are better trained, better organized, and better compensated.

Let’s take Brock Purdy’s situation in San Francisco.

Brock is the last pick of last year’s draft class at number 262.

He started the year as the 3^rd string quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Due to injuries to the other quarterbacks, Brock started 7 games so far. He won all 7 including 2 playoff games.

It’s a perfect football start for his young career.

How could someone in his rookie year and as the last pick of the draft be such an effective quarterback? He benefited from being part of a great team.

The 49ers are led by a great head coach who also happens to be an offensive genius. They also have many all-star players on the offensive side.

And the team has arguably the top-rated defense in the league.

All that adds up to a great situation for Brock Purdy.

Brock benefits significantly from being on a great team.

You should always look for a great team to join if you want to make your life easier.

Lesson #4: Where You Start Doesn’t Determine Your Outcome

It’s not just where you start, it’s where you end.

My parents are hard-working blue-collar workers. I grew up in a financially poor household.

But I obtained a good education, climbed the corporate ladder, saved, and invested my money over 2 decades.

And now, I am financially free all while living in New York City (Manhattan), the most expensive city in the world with the highest cost of living according to Economist Intelligence.

The world isn’t always fair. There are no excuses. You have to be self-reliant if you want to find success.

Go back to the Brock Purdy example. He was drafted last in his draft class. NFL teams picked 261 players before him.

There’s a name they give the last pick of the draft, “Mr. Irrelevant”. The name is fitting since no one expects much from such a low draft pick.

But he didn’t let that deter him from performing when the opportunity arose. He started as the 3^rd string quarter on the San Francisco 49ers at the start of the year.

Due to injuries to the starter and the backup, Brock was asked to play quarterback on the team late in the season.

Guess how Brock did? He started 5 games in the regular season, and 2 games in the playoffs. He won all 7 of those games and will be starting in the NFC Championship game this coming weekend.

If he can win out the rest of this season, he will be the only rookie to ever be the quarterback of a Super Bowl winning team.

How impressive is that?

Don’t let where you started limit your outcome.

Lesson #5: With High Pay Comes High Expectations And Pressure

Unlike Brock Purdy, the rookie last pick of his draft class, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are expected to perform at a high level.

Dak Prescott, the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, received a 4 year $160,000,000 contract last year. His average pay per year is $40,000,000.

With such a lofty contract comes high expectations and rightfully so.

There is a lot of pressure placed on Dak to perform at an elite level.

Additionally, the Cowboys are affectionately called “America’s Team”. With such a moniker heaped on the team, the Cowboys are expected to win constantly.

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round this past weekend. Dak threw 2 interceptions.

The team and Dak did not play well enough to win.

Now, all the football talking heads debate about what went wrong with the team and analyzed how poorly Dak played.

If you want to command top dollars, understand that there are high expectations and pressure to perform.

You need to be able to handle the stress and deal with the expectations if you want high pay.

Lesson #6: Not A Lot Of People Stick to What Works

For average results, keep to what the average person does.

For exceptional results, you need to do things differently.

Many Americans spend everything they make.

According to the Federal Reserve’s Board Survey of Consumer Finances, the median savings balance (excluding retirement funds) of Americans under 35 is $3,240.

Americans just don’t save enough.

Without savings, there can be no investing. How can wealth be built? It can’t.

Constantly saving 20% of take home pay, investing that savings, and letting the power of compound interest work its magic will result in millions over time.

It’s a formula that works but not many people follow it. Once you have accomplished this, then you will realize how a lot of people don’t try to stick to what works.

It even happens in the NFL to highly talented quarterbacks.

Joe Burrow, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, won’t overwhelm you with his arm strength or off-platform throws.

But he was able to lead his team to the Super Bowl last year and is back in the AFC Championship game this year.

What Joe Burrow does well are the fundamentals. He is accurate, makes quick decisions, and takes what the defense gives to him.

He can throw a bomb if he needs to but will take the high-completion short pass if available.

A lot of other quarterbacks can basically do the same. Take the easy completion, and keep the chains moving.

However, not many quarterbacks have the patience to play it that way. It isn’t flashy and doesn’t highlight their out worldly talent.

Hence, they prefer the lower percentage flashy throws instead. If those throws are caught, they make the highlight reels.

But what happens when those throws don’t connect as is often the case? They end up losing the game.

So the lesson here is to stick to what works, even though few actually do.

Lesson #7: Success Isn’t A Straight Line

Don’t expect success to be a straight line.

Here’s what success really looks like.

You can look at some of the quarterbacks that have played this past weekend to see.

Joe Burrow, despite being selected #1 overall in his draft class, got injured during his rookie season and missed close to half the season. He did bounce back in a big way during his sophomore year.

Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, just completed his second year in the NFL. He had a terrible rookie year in which he threw more interceptions than touchdowns. His team finished with a record of 3-14. It was a rookie season to forget.

But he also bounced back in a big way this year. He completed 25 touchdowns against 8 intercepts this year and his team finished the season with an 9-8 record. They made the playoffs and won 1 playoff game. It was a good year for him.

Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, basically sat out his entire rookie year. Forget about starting, he didn’t even play much during his rookie season.

Now, Patrick is the best quarterback in the planet. He is about to win his second MVP, won a Super Bowl, and has his team playing in the AFC Championship once again.

Even for elite, high-level quarterback talents, where there are maybe only 10 to 15 people that can compete at that level on the face of the Earth, success isn’t a straight line.

There will be ups and downs. You shouldn’t expect success to be a straight line as well.

Summary

I like to look for lessons in sports that are applicable to business and personal finance.

There are a lot of lessons you can pick up from watching football that can serve you well as you tackle your own career, business, or finances.

Always look to improve yourself, work with great managers, and surround yourself with a great team.

Understand that where you start doesn’t determine your outcome, success isn’t always a straight line, and if you want to succeed, do what most people won’t do.

And if you are ever well compensated, but prepared to deal with the increased expectations and pressure.

Those lessons gleaned from football should serve all of us well in our business and in increasing wealth.

To The Audience: Do you believe there are lessons from the NFL that can apply to business or personal finance? If yes, what are some of them you see? Are you a fan of the NFL games? Who do you think will win the Super Bowl?