49ers, Bengals Rejected Matt Barkley's Request to Pay His Contracts in Bitcoin

Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Matt Barkley has played for a number of NFL teams in his career, including short stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals. And apparently, he attempted to receive his paychecks in a unique fashion: bitcoin. 

With cryptocurrency continuing to grow in popularity, it isn't surprising that professional athletes are taking notice. 

Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung, for instance, is very much interested in the alternative currency:

It could be a long time before professional teams jump on the bitcoin bandwagon and pay their players in cryptocurrency, but Barkley and Okung are already on board.