Remember the good old days, before pop stars ruined football?

Kidding, kidding.

Professional football players have long been an archetypical stand-in symbolic of the all-American male. They’re strong, fast, and carry that whiff of Boy Scout can-do-ism, no matter whether it’s earned or not. These days, however, the job description has expanded beyond the astroturf: Athletes’ profiles have risen to the level of celebrity in recent decades, and brand endorsements, social outings, and, increasingly, personal lives are part and parcel of being a star . Fan engagement goes beyond yards passed and interceptions made—as the recent explosive excitement around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift ’s engagement (of the marital variety) underlined in glittery gel pen ink.

In the NFL 2025-26 Sea

See Full Page