Garrett Webster, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Mike Webster, has spoken publicly about his family’s financial difficulties following his father’s long NFL career. In recent comments responding to social media discussions about Cam Newton’s financial situation, Garrett detailed the hardships faced by the Webster family after Mike Webster’s time in professional football.
Garrett stated, “My dad was Mike Webster. Played 17 years in the NFL, 4 Super Bowls, member of 75th and All-Century Team.” He went on to say, “He died broke, we are on welfare, we receive no pension, and had to sell his Super Bowl rings to pay bills.” He further clarified their situation: “when I say welfare, I mean Medicaid, and food stamps, and I do work 35-40 hours a week.”
According to Garrett Webster, even though Mike Webster had an accomplished career—including four Super Bowl wins and being recognized as part of both the NFL 75th Anniversary Team and All-Century Team—the family received little support following his death at age 50. Garrett explained that the battle for any post-career benefits was lengthy: he said they appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. Ultimately, twenty years after Mike’s passing and after considerable debts and legal proceedings, they received between $300,000 to $400,000 split among five people. He noted that under league rules at that time benefits were not available unless a player lived past age 55.
In discussing current players’ financial challenges—specifically Cam Newton—Garrett pointed out differences between generations. He contrasted Newton’s reported $133 million in career earnings with his own family’s experience and described it as “insane” for Newton to struggle financially now. Garrett commented that calling such modern-day hardship “heartbreaking” is an insult to former players who earned less but suffered more severe consequences.
Newton himself addressed his circumstances openly. On a podcast released in May 2025 he described ongoing costs associated with maintaining a previous lifestyle despite no longer having regular income from football: “those things never leave,” he said regarding persistent expenses even after leaving the game. He acknowledged no longer feeling like “Superman” for his eight children due to these changes. Newton spoke about how high income was reduced significantly by taxes—and yet yearly expenses related to family needs did not decrease when his NFL paychecks ended. He said: “your overhead never really changes. Your income changes, but your expenses have to change with it.”
The contrast in experiences shared by Garrett Webster highlights some of the difficulties faced by former Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees and their families while also drawing attention to financial realities for athletes across different eras.
