The most popular major league sports create superstars that fans love to watch. Often these stars have large social media followings, earn huge salaries, garner millions of dollars in endorsements, and enjoy careers that last for years – after which they often move on to become TV network commentators or even movie stars. People wear their jerseys to games, and each year thousands of people ask for their autographs.
Some prominent sports figures are considered villains, at least by the fans of teams they compete against. Many others, though, are immensely well-liked, if not beloved. When it comes to professional football, the best-liked player in the NFL is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
To determine which NFL players fans like the most, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the results of a poll measuring “net favorability” (the share of respondents with a favorable opinion of a player minus the share with an unfavorable one), conducted by the polling company Morning Consult. Taken on Jan. 8 and 9 of this year, the poll logged the opinions of between 513 and 621 people per player.
The results yielded a list of 18 players. Some have been in the league for many years. Tom Brady is the longest-lived of these. Now 44 years old, he has been playing in the NFL since 2000. In the most recent season, he led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, and he set the all-time record for pass completions in a season. In 2021, his first year with Tampa Bay, he led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win. He has won seven Super Bowls, and his team was in the playoffs this year. (These are the 35 players with the most Super Bowl rings.)
Click here to see the most well-liked players in the NFL
Some of the players on the most-liked list, on the other hand, are virtually newcomers to the NFL. Among these is Joe Burrow, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, who was drafted only in 2020. (The Bengals are in this year’s playoffs.)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback phenom Patrick Mahomes took first place with a score of 34, well ahead of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who won second place with a score of 28. Mahomes has been in the league since he was drafted by the Chiefs in 2017. He was the NFL MVP in 2018, the year he led his team to a Super Bowl win. He was also the MVP of that Super Bowl. (These are the NFL teams with the most consecutive winning seasons.)
Source: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
18. Teddy Bridgewater
> Team: Denver Broncos
> Favorability score: 20
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Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
17. Ryan Tannehill
> Team: Tennessee Titans
> Favorability score: 20
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Source: Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
16. Amari Cooper
> Team: Dallas Cowboys
> Favorability score: 20
Source: Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
15. Matt Ryan
> Team: Atlanta Falcons
> Favorability score: 20
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Source: Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
14. Davante Adams
> Team: Green Bay Packers
> Favorability score: 20
Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
13. Derek Carr
> Team: Las Vegas Raiders
> Favorability score: 20
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Source: Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
12. Dak Prescott
> Team: Dallas Cowboys
> Favorability score: 20
Source: Joe Sargent / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
11. Ben Roethlisberger
> Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
> Favorability score: 21
Source: Joe Sargent / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
10. Joe Burrow
> Team: Cincinnati Bengals
> Favorability score: 21
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Source: Elsa / Getty Images
9. Travis Kelce
> Team: Kansas City Chiefs
> Favorability score: 22
Source: Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
8. Jalen Hurts
> Team: Philadelphia Eagles
> Favorability score: 22
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Source: Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
7. Lamar Jackson
> Team: Baltimore Ravens
> Favorability score: 23
Source: Leon Halip / Getty Images
6. Matthew Stafford
> Team: Los Angeles Rams
> Favorability score: 23
Source: Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
5. Tom Brady
> Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
> Favorability score: 25
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Source: Bryan M. Bennett / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
4. Josh Allen
> Team: Buffalo Bills
> Favorability score: 25
Source: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
3. Rob Gronkowski
> Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
> Favorability score: 27
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Source: Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
2. Russell Wilson
> Team: Seattle Seahawks
> Favorability score: 28
Source: Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
1. Patrick Mahomes
> Team: Kansas City Chiefs
> Favorability score: 34
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