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Former Raiders Star Darren McFadden Makes Eye-Opening Admission After Juan Soto Deal

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Griffin Conant | Last updated Dec 9, 2024 8:23 PM ET

Former Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden last laced up the cleats during the 2017 NFL season with the Dallas Cowboys, but a part of him might've wished he went down a different path in his athletic career.

During his ten seasons in the NFL, McFadden was best known for his time with the Raiders from 2008 to 2014, where he rushed for 4,427 yards and 33 total touchdowns. His standout season came in 2010, when he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and scored seven touchdowns. Prior to his NFL career, McFadden was a star at Arkansas, where he became a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2007, finishing as the runner-up to Tim Tebow.

McFadden's surprising confession came in the wake of groundbreaking news in the baseball world: former New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto signing the richest contract in sports history with the New York Mets.

On X, McFadden wrote, "765 mil... shoulda learned how to hit the ball, not hit the gap."

Believe it or not, McFadden had his share of moments on the baseball diamond. At Oak Grove High School in North Little Rock, Arkansas, he was a three-sport star in football, baseball, and track.

The median salary for an NFL player is approximately $860,000 per year, while Major League Baseball players earn an average of $4.98 million annually. Despite the salary disparity, McFadden still amassed career earnings of $47,637,500 over 103 games. It's safe to say he did quite well for himself.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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