“He died broke”: Steelers legend Mike Webster’s son Garrett reveals heartbreaking sale of Super Bowl rings after NFL left family empty-handed

Garrett Webster, son of former Steelers center Mike Webster, made a strong response on August 20, 2025, after an X post by Dov Kleiman about Cam Newton’s financial struggle caught his attention. Garrett reminded readers that his father played 17 seasons in the NFL, won four Super Bowls, and was part of both the NFL 75th Anniversary and All-Century teams. But despite all that, Mike Webster died broke. His family had to sell his Super Bowl rings to pay their debts. Garrett said, “we are on welfare, we receive no pension,” and he also shared, “when I say welfare, I mean Medicaid, and food stamps, and I do work 35-40 hours a week.”

Garrett Webster recalls selling Mike Webster’s Super Bowl rings after Steelers legend died broke

Garrett Webster has spoken openly about his father. He said, “My dad was Mike Webster. Played 17 years in the NFL, 4 Super Bowls, member of 75th and All-Century Team.” Still, “He died broke, we are on welfare, we receive no pension, and had to sell his Super Bowl rings to pay bills.”


He added that taxpayer assistance isn’t charity, he calls it welfare in the strict sense: “when I say welfare, I mean Medicaid, and food stamps, and I do work 35-40 hours a week.”

Garrett explained how long and hard the battle was: Mike’s family appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. Eventually they received between $300,000 to $400,000, split five ways, after 20 years of debts, bills, and court cases. They’d fought since Mike died at age 50, and his pension wasn’t passed down; apparently, benefits kick in only if you live past age 55.

Garrett also drew a contrast with Cam Newton, pointing out that Newton earned $133 million during his NFL career. According to Garrett, for Newton to struggle now is “insane,” and calling it “heartbreaking” is an insult to former players who made far less and suffered more.

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Cam Newton admits financial struggles despite earning $133 million in NFL career

Cam Newton, who threw 194 touchdown passes and gained 32,382 passing yards in his NFL career, has openly spoken about adjusting to life without his usual income. He said, “those things never leave,” referring to the bills that kept coming even after he stopped playing. He admitted he no longer feels like “Superman” to his eight children. In May 2025, he devoted a full podcast episode to what he called “the brutal math,” explaining how it’s common to go broke when trying to keep up one’s lifestyle and incomes fall short.

Newton also pointed to lifestyle inflation as a main culprit. At his peak, his income might have been around $20 million, but taxes reduced that to about $12 million. With yearly expenses of $5–6 million (private schools, home upkeep, alimony, lawn care, HOA fees), he said, “your overhead never really changes. Your income changes, but your expenses have to change with it.”

Garrett’s message serves as a raw and personal reminder that even decorated players like his father can slip through cracks in support systems, even when they’ve given decades to the game. At the same time, Cam Newton’s story shows that, even with massive earnings, life after football can still bring unexpected financial strain if spending doesn’t adjust.