Skip NavigationBarion Brown signs autographs during New Orleans Saints training camp on August 03, 2026 in Metairie, Louisiana.Morgan Simmons | Getty
For an NFL rookie, the first paycheck might seem like an opportunity to splurge. But not for New Orleans Saints wide receiver and return specialist Barion Brown.
Brown, 22, was asked what he wanted to buy for himself or someone else after receiving his first NFL paycheck following a training camp practice on Aug. 6.
“Nah, I’m a sixth-round guy, man,” he said. “Gotta save every penny I can get.”
Brown, the No. 190 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, was selected in the second-to-last round. He hasn’t yet secured a spot on the Saints’ 53-man regular-season roster. But so far in training camp, he’s competing for the team’s No. 3 wide receiver job and a role as a kick returner.
Even with a promising start to training camp, Brown isn’t assured the full value of his NFL contract. Brown signed a standard four-year rookie deal worth about $4.67 million in May, but his only guaranteed money is a $294,016 signing bonus.
And NFL careers can be notoriously short, often lasting only a few years, though estimates vary depending on how players are counted.
Asked by CNBC Make It what he meant by saving “every penny,” Brown said he was putting money away “for rainy days.”
“You just never know what to expect,” he said. “Just always having something to fall back on and rely on when the thunder come.”
Brown doesn’t see his NFL paycheck as a reason to change how he lives.
“I feel like I have everything that I need,” Brown told Make It. “It’s not necessary to go out and spend all your money.”
Brown is “smart to be saving as much as he can,” particularly given how short NFL careers can be, says Howard Pressman, a certified financial planner at Egan, Berger & Weiner in Virginia.
The lesson can be useful for anyone making good money early in their career without knowing whether that income will last, he says. In that situation, he recommends avoiding new fixed expenses that could become difficult to afford if your income falls. A bigger mortgage or an expensive car, for example, can lock you into higher payments for years.
Pressman says splurging on one-time experiences like travel can be a way to enjoy some of that money without taking on additional ongoing expenses. But he recommends saving the bulk of any major increase in pay.
“Avoiding lifestyle creep, living below your means and saving are three things within our control,” Pressman says.
Want to get ahead at work? Then you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC’s new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors share practical strategies to help you use everyday conversations to gain visibility, build meaningful relationships and accelerate your career growth. Sign up today!
VIDEO09:36I quit my $250K/year tech job–now I make $33K/year selling matchaMillennial Money
About The Author
