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The idea of making $1 million in a single day might sound unreal to most Americans — but that was the exact opportunity former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow had in front of him.
In a 2025 interview with Graham Bensinger, Tebow reflected on his short stint with the New England Patriots in 2013 and the massive endorsement offer he received: $1 million for a day’s work (1).
“It just was an awesome opportunity from a really good company that stood for really amazing things and they really wanted me to be a part of it,” Tebow said. He also added that “it was during an off day,” so Patriots fans needn’t have worried he’d miss game day.
But before he could say yes, there was one person he wanted to approve the deal: Coach Bill Belichick.
“I was asked by [Belichick], when I joined the team, to do my best of going under the radar and not bring too much attention. I said, ‘Yes, sir. I’ll do my best,’” Tebow recalled.
Unsure whether the endorsement would violate that directive, Tebow picked up the phone.
“I called him and said, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity,’” recounted Tebow. And Belichick’s response? “‘Timmy, I’d really appreciate it if you turned it down.’”
And so, Tebow walked away from a seven-figure windfall.
## The financial wins and losses of professional football
Anyone familiar with his career knows what happened next. The Patriots cut him from the roster shortly afterwards (2).
But wasn’t there a contract? Well, when Bensinger asked what kind of deal he had with New England at the time, Tebow didn’t mince words: “I don’t think it was, like, even a contract.” In fact, he was “just trying to make the team” (1).
That’s what makes the missed payday sting even more. As Tebow put it: “Maybe I should have said yes because I got cut a few days later — that day of service would have been twice as much as I would have made if I would have made the team for the entire season.”
Still, despite losing the $1 million opportunity and then being released, Tebow expressed no bitterness toward Belichick, who led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins. He described the coach as “so honest and forthright” and “really kind in a lot of areas.”
In spite of Tebow’s goodwill toward Belichick, the famed football coach has also met with some setbacks in his own career of late (3). It was announced in January that Belichick would not be inducted into the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, regardless of his six-win Super Bowl track record.
Belichick has also recently switched to coaching college football, where he had a record-low first season with his new team, the North Carolina Tar Heels. This has some wondering if the 73-year-old coaching legend will end his career on a low, rather than a high.
Both Belichick’s and Tebow’s experiences show how quickly fortunes can change — sometimes overnight — in professional sports. And they’re not alone.
Fans of the NBA will also recall Latrell Sprewell’s notorious rejection of a 3-year, $21 million contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves, stating it wasn’t enough because “I’ve got my family to feed” (4). But after Sprewell’s old contract expired in 2005, he could not secure another contract and fell out of the NBA.
By 2008, Sprewell was facing foreclosure on his home (5).
And while these stories are rooted in professional sports, the same lesson applies outside the stadium. Your circumstances — and your income — can change faster than you think. And often, the smartest play is to put yourself in the position where a sudden setback doesn’t derail your whole life.
So, even if you do nothing else, try these two simple steps to help you stay financially steady.
When income disappears without warning, things can snowball quicker than you think — bills will keep arriving, expenses will keep piling up, and credit cards will start looking like the only option. That’s why having cash set aside isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline.
An emergency fund gives you the cushion to handle life’s surprises without derailing your finances. Whether it’s a medical bill, a sudden car repair or an unexpected job loss, that cushion helps you stay afloat while you figure out the next step.
So, how big should that safety net be?
Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey suggests having an emergency fund that can cover living expenses for three to six months (6). What matters most, though, is consistency — adding a little at a time until your safety net starts to take shape.
That’s where a high-yield account like the Wealthfront Cash Account can be a great place to start growing your emergency fund, since it offers competitive interest rates and easy access to your cash when you need it.
A Wealthfront Cash Account can provide a base variable APY of 3.30%, but Moneywise readers can receive a 0.65% boost over their first three months for a total APY of 3.95%. That’s over ten times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC’s January report.
With no minimum balances or account fees, 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, Wealthfront Cash Account balances of up to $8 million are insured by the FDIC through program banks.
The experiences of Tebow, Belichick and Sprewell — and many other professional athletes — are a reminder that even the most promising opportunities can disappear in an instant. For everyday workers, that uncertainty often shows up in the form of layoffs, reduced hours or shifting company priorities.
To protect yourself from these sudden changes in fortune, you can start by building income streams that don’t rely on your employer at all.
One of the most time-tested strategies to generate passive income is through real estate investing. Owning a rental property can generate monthly cash flow from tenants while also serving as a hedge against inflation — since property values and rental prices tend to rise over time alongside the cost of living.
However, being a landlord comes with its challenges. You’ll need to find and screen tenants, ensure rent is collected on time and deal with maintenance and repairs — out of pocket. And that’s assuming you can afford a down payment and qualify for a mortgage in the first place.
The good news? You don’t have to buy a property outright to become a real estate mogul anymore.
Mogul is a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or late-night tenant calls.
Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10% to 12% annually. And with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property, offerings often sell out in under three hours.
Even better, every investment is secured by real assets, not dependent on the platform’s viability. Each property is held in a standalone Propco LLC, so investors own the property — not the platform. Meanwhile, blockchain-based fractionalization adds a layer of safety, ensuring a permanent, verifiable record of each stake.
Getting started is a quick and easy process. You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks.
Another way to boost your income through investment in rental properties is to consider the returns from multifamily units. These buildings typically require a large upfront investment, but now you can get access for less.
If diversifying into multifamily rentals appeals to you, you could consider investing with Lightstone DIRECT, a new investing platform from the Lightstone Group, one of the largest private real estate companies in the country with over 25,000 multifamily units in its portfolio.
Since they eliminate intermediaries — brokers and crowdfunding middlemen — accredited investors with a minimum investment of $100,000 can gain direct access to institutional-quality multifamily opportunities. This streamlined model can help reduce fees while enhancing transparency and control.
And with Lightstone DIRECT, you invest in single-asset multifamily deals alongside Lightstone — a true partner — as Lightstone puts at least 20% of its own capital into every offering. All of Lightstone’s investment opportunities undergo a rigorous, multi-stage review before being approved by Lightstone’s Principals, including Founder David Lichtenstein.
How it works is simple: Just sign up with your email and schedule a call with a capital formation expert to assess your investment opportunities. From here, all you have to do is verify your details to begin investing.
Founded in 1986, Lightstone has a proven track record of delivering strong risk-adjusted returns across market cycles with a 27.6% historical net IRR and 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004. All told, Lightstone has $12 billion in assets under management — including in industrial and commercial real estate.
As such, even if multifamily rentals don’t appeal to you, Lightstone could still serve you well as an investment vehicle for other real estate verticals.
