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Does Germain Ifedi's career reflect the American dream, or is it a cautionary tale of instability?

It’s not easy growing up in a foreign land as a child of immigrants. Germain Ifedi‘s parents migrated to the US from Umuoji, Nigeria, in search of a better life. Well, they’ve definitely found it. His father, Ben Ifedi, works for United Airlines, and his mother, Victoria, works as a parole officer and part-time nurse.

Even beyond gainful employment in the land of dreams, sports is often a pathway to living that American dream. Germain wasn’t the first of the Ifedis to pursue it either. His older brother, Martin, played as a defensive end at Memphis before being drafted by the Rams and later being signed by the Bucs and the Falcons. But Germain Ifedi’s done even better for himself. Here’s more about the Offensive Tacke’s earnings.

What is Germain Ifedi’s salary?

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A graduate of Texas A&M, Germain Ifedi majored in construction science. He was serious in his studies, too, yet still neck-deep in his love for football. His internship with Manhattan-Vaughn Construction saw him working on the renovation for Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. There’s always demand for construction majors, plus you can go into related fields in infrastructure. Well, Ifedi’s making way more than he would have in that field. This year, Ifedi’s salary stands at a healthy $1.21 million.

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The thing is, he’s a veteran player so that $1.21 million is actually the minimum the Cleveland Browns are allowed to pay him. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson’s on a $1.21 million contract, too. Different reasons for them accepting these contracts, of course, but interestingly, this is the first time Ifedi’s ever been on a minimum salary. His stellar performance at Westside High School meant he graduated as a 4-star recruit, and his consistency at Texas A&M made him quite the draft prospect.

So it’s hardly surprising that the Seattle Seahawks snapped him up in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. That was a $8,265,105 contract over 4 years, with a $4,210,986 signing bonus. The American dream, indeed. He improved over his time with them, but he was consistently responsible for penalties. In fact, in 2017, he led the league for penalties incurred. That’s in the past now, but what’s his future look like with the Browns?

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Does Germain Ifedi's career reflect the American dream, or is it a cautionary tale of instability?

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How long is Germain Ifedi’s contract?

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Well, for better or worse, the Browns only have Ifedi on a one-year contract. At the end of this season, he will once again become a free agent, so he doesn’t really seem to have a future with the franchise. That’s been his fate for the last few years; sadly, he hasn’t managed to settle anywhere. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills last year, but they never played him, and the year before that, he was with the Falcons. Ifedi played with them, though mainly during special team appearances.

He did have two years with the Bears, but the pandemic was splat bang in the middle of it. He’s been a wandering soul since the Seattle Seahawks let him go in 2019, but he is getting to do what he loves. Germain Ifedi’s playing football at the highest level and being paid literally millions to do it. At just 30 years old, his career earnings stand at $17,886,051, which is not too shabby at all. With a little careful planning, he’s already built up generational wealth. Let’s hope he can hold on to it.

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