In the current realm of professional sports, professional athletes are more than just players on the field. Many of them become high-profile celebrities or become popular on social media, making them the face of their franchise or even the entire league.
This is true for almost any professional sport, but it’s very apparent in the landscape of the National Football League, which draws millions of viewers each week of the season.
From well-established players to ones just reaching stardom, here is a list of the NFL’s 10 biggest stars in no specific order:
Travis Kelce — @killatrav
Travis Kelce is one of the best players at his position in league history, and his relationship with singer/songwriter Taylor Swift has only made him more popular. The Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end has brought more people to football than anyone else in recent years. Yes, it might be because of his relationship with Swift, but (I think) the more people who are watching the sport, the better.
Kelce is one of the best tight ends in league history in his own respect. Last season marked Kelce’s 13th year in the league and with the Chiefs. He ranks third all-time for receiving yards for a tight end with 13,002, only behind Tony Gonzalez, who is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and Jason Witten. His 85 career touchdowns rank fifth all-time among tight ends.
There have been rumors swirling around about Kelce’s retirement in future seasons, but for now, he’s still one of the NFL’s biggest stars.
Patrick Mahomes — @patrickmahomes
One of the reasons Kelce has been so successful over his NFL career is because of the person who’s been throwing to him. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II was drafted by Kansas City in 2017 and became the starter in 2018. Since then, the Chiefs have won the AFC West all but one year (2025) and made an appearance in five Super Bowls, winning three.
On his own, Mahomes was the fastest player in NFL history to amass 30,000 career passing yards. He owns the most career wins in a players’ first 100 starts as he won 78 of his first 100 games. His efforts have also earned him two NFL MVP awards (2018 and 2022).
Mahomes’ success with Kansas City has created a dynasty, making him one of the premier players in the league.
Josh Allen — @joshallenqb
One of Mahomes’ rivals during his career has been Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Allen was drafted one year after Mahomes but was granted the starting role for part of his rookie season. Before Allen was drafted, the Bills hadn’t won an ACF title since 1995. And after former New England Patriots quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady’s reign in the AFC East ended, Allen and the Bills won the division five straight times from 2020-24.
Despite the team’s success since Allen’s arrival, the Bills haven’t made a Super Bowl appearance. That is in part because of the Chiefs, who’ve ended Allen and the Bills’ season in the playoffs four times.
Allen has still delivered a once struggling team into one of the top teams in the league. In his eight seasons in the NFL, Allen has accumulated 30,102 passing yards and 299 total touchdowns — 220 passing and 79 rushing — on a 64% completion percentage.
Joe Burrow — @joeyb_9
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has battled injuries since getting drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, but when he’s been on the field, he’s one of the most electric players in the league.
In Burrow’s first two healthy seasons in 2021 and 2022, he led the Bengals to a Super Bowl runner-up and an AFC Championship appearance, respectively. Cincinnati has missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons, two of which Burrow missed significant time because of injuries. But when he’s on the field for the Bengals, Burrow is the difference maker.
Lamar Jackson — @ new_era8
There’s been an AFC North rivalry forming between Burrow and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Both players have been the difference makers for their respective teams, and when they meet twice a year, you can usually count on an interesting contest.
Since being drafted by the Ravens in 2018, Jackson has accumulated 22,608 passing yards and 6,522 rushing yards as a dual-threat quarterback. He has 187 passing touchdowns and 35 rushing, but has also struggled to stay on the field at times throughout his career.
Justin Jefferson — @jjettas2
The Minnesota Vikings struck gold when they drafted wide receiver Justin Jefferson in 2020. In six years, Jefferson has recorded 8,480 receiving yards and 42 receiving touchdowns. Even though Minnesota has had nine different starting quarterbacks since he was drafted, Jefferson has still been able to produce at a high level for the Vikings.
His on-field performances combined with his charismatic personality make Jefferson one of the most popular skill players in the league and one of the faces of the NFL.
Saquon Barkley — @saquon
Running back Saquon Barkley was originally drafted by the New York Giants in 2018 and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles when he became an unrestricted free agent in 2024. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 and earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in his first season with the Eagles in 2024 after rushing for over 2,000 yards in the season.
He helped the Giants to a playoff appearance in 2022, where they won their Wild Card matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, but fell to the Eagles in the Divisional Round. He’s accumulated 8,356 rushing yards in eight seasons, one of which he only played two games before he was sidelined with an injury for the remainder of the year.
Caleb Williams — @ayeeecaleb
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is by far the youngest player on this list, but he’s on it for a few reasons.
Williams was drafted by the Bears in 2024 and has revitalized a city that had very little hope for a few seasons. His flashy and game-changing drives are electric to watch. It’s always prime television when Williams and the Bears are driving down the field to make a game-winning play, like their overtime win over the Green Bay Packers in late December.
I think it’s refreshing to have a quarterback who is uniquely themselves, and Williams has been doing that since his time at the University of Southern California.
Myles Garrett — @flash_garrett
I think offensive players usually come to mind when talking about the faces of the NFL, but some players on the defensive side have a case.
Cleveland Brown’s defensive end Myles Garrett won the league’s defensive player of the year award last season after recording 60 total tackles, 23 sacks and three forced fumbles. While the Browns have been at the bottom of the league standings over the past few seasons, Garrett has still been able to wreak havoc on opposing teams’ offensive units.
Patrick Surtain — @patsurtainII
I think the nickname PSII is enough to make Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II one of the stars of the NFL, but his on-field play is hard to argue with, too.
The Broncos drafted Surtain in 2021, and he won the AP Defensive Play of the Year award in 2024 after he recorded 45 total tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown that season. Despite being sidelined for a few weeks last season, Surtain is arguably the best cornerback in the league, constantly locking down some of the NFL’s top receivers.
