Ryan Clark recently revealed that his son earned more money from an NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal than he did from his rookie NFL contract.

Making an appearance on the latest episode of Complex's Idea Generation, Clark shared the impact of NIL deals on collegiate athletes and  how his son Jordan, who plays for the New York Jets, is

"We're sitting down, and we're having the NIL meeting, and you know he's told that his baseline is going to be more money than I made my rookie year in the NFL," Clark explained. 

"It's crazy, right, and so him, because he never had to make a decision based on money, it was like this cool deal that 'dang, pop like I don't have to call you for stuff now,' you know?", he continued.

Although Clark is excited that collegiate athletes are getting paid, he also warned that large amounts for young players could have a negative impact if they’re unprepared.

"But when you think about some of these kids who don't have the right people around them or don't have that foundation of having some wealth in their family, it means everything, but by meaning everything to them and their family, now you have the hangar ons who push you in different directions based on dollar signs not based on the best field, the best spot, the best place to grow and so I think players have to be extremely weary,” Clark said.

As a rookie with the New York Giants in 2002, Clark inked a 2-year, $525,000 deal, which was standard at the time. In comparison,  Jordan signed a three-year, $2.98 million contract with the New York Jets following the 2025 NFL Draft, exceeding his father’s earnings as a rookie/

Undoubtedly, Jordan has benefited from the NFL's tremendous growth. With major broadcasting agreements worth billions of dollars, sponsorships, licensing, and merchandising, the salaries of players have risen dramatically since his father’s playing days. For this season, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to a $279.2 million salary cap per team for 2025.