With the kind of guaranteed or even the minimum money being made by even those at the bottom of the roster, I believe the NFL has become essentially footballs version of LIV golf, something of an exhibition league where competition is pretty fierce (just like competition in any club leagues) between the lines, but the players are basically part of a big entertainment enterprise, kind of never ending TV series that has a huge audience. Hey, most players state that they see the next game like a TV series sees filming the next episode, just part of the routine. Heck the players are rooting for each other (on other team) to get that guaranteed money bag. Like a big money soaked fraternity.
Hate to say it, but the TV networks billions shoveled to the players, driven by WE, the TV viewers have made it that way.