ex-Panthers OT Russell Okung claims victory lap over getting paid in Bitcoin

Carolina's one-time left tackle claims he made a statement getting paid in crypto.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 24: Russell Okung #76 of the Carolina Panthers waits between drills during a training camp session at Bank of America Stadium on August 24, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers have gone through a lot of left tackles since the retirement of Jordan Gross. They hope to have finally landed on a frachise option with Ikem Ekwonu, and he's showing signs of progress in Year 3, but the jury is still out.

Along the way the Panthers made some pretty hilariously bad decisons at the position, worst of all giving Matt Kalil a five-year, $55 million contract that is technically no longer on the books but will nevertheless go down in history as one of the worst contracts of all time. Another blindside starter that didn't work out was Russell Okung, who played seven games in 2020 and then retired.

While Okung won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks early in his career, he is most-famous for converting half of his salary with the Panthers that year into Bitcoin - making him the first NFL player to do so. At the time one Bitcoin was worth around $27,000 - now it's more than triple that amount. That means the 240 bitcoins he got that were worth $6.5 million are now worth over $20 million. Here's Okung taking a victory lap yesterday on Twitter over it.

Russell Okung tweets re: Bitcoin

getting paid in Bitcoin isn't just about payment, it’s a statement

against inflation
against control
against the old guard https://t.co/D8WDa6iaIJ

— OKUNG 🐆 (@RussellOkung) November 12, 2024

Actually, Okung is pleased enough with himself to have tweeted about it several more times.

society wants to tame you, wants you predictable. but greatness demands wildness. https://t.co/dDy7vYq0aW

— OKUNG 🐆 (@RussellOkung) November 11, 2024

https://t.co/Q90afATzLk pic.twitter.com/GMksMTHyc1

— OKUNG 🐆 (@RussellOkung) November 13, 2024

This is where we point out Okung did not make a radical act of protest, he made an investment - and the ball keeps bouncing.

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