While competing on Special Forces, Eric Decker opened up about wife Jessie James Decker taking the reins financially after his NFL retirement.
During the Thursday, October 30, episode of the Fox series, Eric, 38, discussed being a wide receiver for eight seasons before leaving the pro football world.
“I don’t really work,” he told his fellow recruits, including his wife. “She’s the sugar mama.”
Eric made light of the situation, but throughout the episode, he acknowledged that he was still struggling with the change. He explained to the Directing Staff how he didn’t feel like himself “physically,” which motivated him to join Special Forces with Jessie, 37.
Jessie James Decker and Eric Decker have a love story that’s all their own. Jessie and the former NFL pro began dating in 2011 after meeting through mutual friends. “I got a text from my girlfriend who said, ‘I’m having dinner with this guy I’m seeing, and this other guy just showed up, and he’s […]
“I don’t necessarily have a second career right now, but I am a father of four kids,” Eric, who shares children Vivianne, 11, Eric, 10, Forrest, 7, and Denver, 20 months, with Jessie, said. “I support my wife because she is a career woman.”
Eric wanted to take part in the show so he could do “something harder” than he had “ever been pushed,” adding, “I feel I’ve been pushing myself as far as I can. I’m scared to fail.”
In August 2018, Eric signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots before announcing his retirement that same month. (He previously played for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans.)
“It’s one of the disappointments I have [with] just the way I went out. I was fearful to fail. Being cut later in my career, it was easier to retire than push. I have been out for six years, but it was great for six months,” he said. “Then came the depression and anxiety.”
Eric added: “I retired six years ago. Football was my life and I’m concerned I’ve lost that fire within me. Maybe I’m just not tough enough.”
While Eric was able to push himself in the Special Forces murderball challenge, he hurt his back. The doctor on sight ruled that Eric couldn’t continue competing, so he left — alongside his wife, who chose to withdraw just a few episodes away from the finale.
“Let’s go home. We ride together, we fly together,” Jessie told Eric.
Reality TV stars join Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test to see what they can achieve when pushed to their physical and emotional limits — but not everyone is able to last until the very end. The hit series, which premiered in 2023, puts contestants through harsh, military-style training based on actual special forces selection […]
Eric previously spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about his interest in Special Forces.
“[Jessie] was my only way in,” he joked in September. “I mean, we went back and forth on whether it made sense or not, but it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something really extreme, like bucket list-type things. To do it together was actually really fun. It was a whole different experience. We’ve never done anything to that degree, obviously. Just to kind of rough it and be tested mentally and physically and have the support system was awesome.”
Eric found himself in awe of Jessie after their time on the show, sharing, “We found out maybe less than 10 days before the show kicked off, so there was no training. When we got there, you know, we really hadn’t done anything in this world together. I played professional football, and I had my locker room, and I kind of got to experience the challenges that come with training with sports. But to have a dynamic, really be together and just go through the most extreme things that you can do was unique and fun.”
He continued: “She is really tough. She has a lot of grit. It kind of showed me a lot of her personality. I knew that she was capable of doing it. … The living conditions were awful, the food was awful, they didn’t make it easy. You get accustomed to a certain lifestyle … but this is really fun to see the success of getting through every day together.”
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs on Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.