CALIFORNIA EXODUS WATCH — and now even the Super Bowl could be looking for the exit.
Former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason says California’s taxes are so punishing, the NFL Players Association should consider refusing to play future Super Bowls in the state.
And his Exhibit A is Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
Darnold earned $178,000 for winning Super Bowl 60.
But because the game was in California, the state didn’t simply tax his Super Bowl winnings. It calculated his tax liability using a portion of his much larger NFL salary.
The reported California tax hit: $249,000.
Do the math.
Darnold won the Super Bowl — and LOST $71,000.
That prompted Esiason to say if he were running the NFLPA, his position would be simple:
“We’re never going back to California.”
Now, the NFL IS going back. Super Bowl 61 is already scheduled for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on February 14th, 2027.
But look where Super Bowl 63 is headed in 2029:
Las Vegas.
Nevada has ZERO individual state income tax.
Same Super Bowl.
Same championship bonus.
Very different address.
California Exodus Watch: when even winning the biggest game in American sports can leave you with a California tax bill bigger than your bonus, don’t be surprised if players start asking why the Super Bowl isn’t following everybody else to Nevada.
This story was compiled using AI.
