Saquon Barkley Runs Toward A Retirement Plan With John Hancock

New York Giants' RB Saquon Barkley is one of a handful of NFL rookies joining John Hancock to promote retirement readiness.

The insurer has teamed up with The Players' Tribune and CBS Sports Digital to create "The Long Game," a dedicated effort to raise awareness of the importance of thoughtfully planning for retirement.

The campaign is told through the perspective of professional football rookies, including Barkley, Calvin Ridley, Sony Michel, Phillip Lindsay, Dante Pettis and James Washington.

Like many young adults, rookie professional athletes have high hopes for their careers, but may not take the needed steps or know the best strategies for planning for life after playing.

Through "The Long Game," Barkley, Ridley, Lindsay, Pettis, Michel, and Washington are helping to shine a light on the importance of retirement planning through a personal video series that explores their respective long-term goals and passions outside of football.

The players will inspire other young adults to think about their personal passions and get a jump start on mapping out their own futures.

"Often when we talk about retirement, it feels like a vague, distant version of our lives that is disconnected from who we are today," said Barbara Goose, chief marketing officer at John Hancock. "The same way we make daily financial decisions to support our current lifestyles and passions, we want young adults to think about retirement through the lens of what they want most in the future – whether it's freedom to travel, spend time with family or buy their dream car. No matter what that goal is, now is the time to start planning to make it a reality."

"I'm grateful to be living my dream of playing professional football, but I know it's also important to focus on building a strong foundation for my future because I know football won't last forever," said Saquon Barkley, running back for the New York Giants. "Now that I'm a father, I want to make sure I'm making the best decisions to build a long and happy future for my family. That includes being able to provide my daughter with a great college education. I'm excited to partner with John Hancock and The Players' Tribune to shed light on the importance of thinking ahead for retirement, no matter where you are in your life or career."

In addition to building a strong foundation for post-career success, retirement planning can also help reduce stress associated with financial uncertainty. Through "The Long Game" efforts, John Hancock hopes to encourage more Americans to invest in their future today to help alleviate financial stress down the road and make the most of their retirement.

"Personal finance and preparing for life after the game is an important issue for today's athletes," says Joe Carney, Senior Vice President of Sales at The Players' Tribune. "As a leader in the financial services industry, we believe that partnering with John Hancock on this series made perfect sense and brings unique credibility to the topics discussed. We are dedicated to collaborating with athletes to create content that showcases their lifestyle – both on and off the playing field – and this program does just that."

To learn more about "The Long Game," watch the first video with Phillip Lindsay, and follow the entire content series visit The Players' Tribune and CBSSports.com.

About John Hancock and Manulife
John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States, and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were over CAD$1.1 trillion (US$863 billion) as of September 30, 2018. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com.

One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports approximately 10 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, and college savings plans. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

About The Players' Tribune
The Players' Tribune (TPT) is a first-of-its-kind content platform that was developed by athletes for athletes to connect them with fans through the power of storytelling. By giving athletes the tools to create truly personal content and tell their stories, The Players' Tribune is reimagining the world of sports and culture through the player's point of view. More than 1,800 athletes have contributed to the platform through impactful and powerful long and short form stories, video series and audio. Founded by Derek Jeter in 2014, TPT provides unique insight into the daily sports conversation and brings fans closer than ever to the games they love. For more information visit www.theplayerstribune.com, or interact with the team on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About CBS Sports Digital 
CBS Sports Digital covers the full spectrum of sports, from preps to pros, and provides premium content across all digital screens. A division of CBS Interactive, CBS Sports Digital is the second largest sports property in the US. With a focus on serving fans live coverage every day, CBS Sports Digital offers exclusive access to the biggest sports events, live and on-demand video, in-depth analysis, breaking news, scores and statistics, and a wide range of fantasy games and advice. CBS Sports Digital's multi-platform offerings include CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports apps for mobile and connected TV devices, CBS Sports HQ, 247Sports, MaxPreps, CBS Sports fantasy games, SportsLine, and SportsLive. CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation, is the world's largest publisher of premium digital content and a perennial top 10 internet company.