Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson became the highest-paid player in the National Football League earlier this month. Now, he's spreading the wealth to the players assigned with protecting him.
Wilson gave $156,000 worth of Amazon stock to the 13 offensive linemen, or $12,000 each. The news was first reported by TMZ Sports on Monday and was later confirmed by Wilson's media production company, West2East Empire.
"You sacrifice your physical and mental well-being to protect me, which in turn allows me to provide care for my family," Wilson wrote in a letter to his linemen. "Now it is my turn to return the favor."
Wilson's gift could be a lucrative one for his linemen if Amazon keeps its sharp returns going. Over the past 10 years, Amazon shares have posted a return of about 2,200%, according to FactSet. If that same performance is replicated over the next decade, each of the linesmen's Amazon stake would be worth north of $270,000. To be sure, past performance does not indicate future returns and should never be the sole reason for making an investment.
The news comes less than a week after Wilson signed a four-year deal with the Seahawks worth $140 million. The contract makes him the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.