The days of NFL players only appearing in traditional commercial endorsements are over, as the top football players are now making a huge impact in many different aspects of our daily lives. By looking at a few recent examples, we can see how they’ve entered fashion and entertainment in different ways.
The Paris Fashion Week Attendees and Runway Appearances
As one of the top fashion events of the year, Paris Fashion Week has been attracting NFL stars for some time. In June 2026, defensive lineman Charles Omenihu of the Washington Commanders was a prominent attendee, documenting his experience there for fans to see. Joseph Ossai of the New York Jets was also there, engaging with some of the top European luxury fashion brands.
Stefon Diggs is one of the NFL stars who has traditionally attended the Paris event. In 2025, the wide receiver caused a stir when he arrived at the Palais de Tokyo for the Menswear Fall/Winter 2025/2026 show with an avant-garde look that included a white leather jacket with an oversized collar and hood before taking a seat in the front row. He’s now with the Washington Commanders, after being a free agent this summer.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings is another player who has frequently been a special guest in the front row of high-profile fashion shows. For example, he attended the fashion debut of Pharrell Williams and then took in shows by the likes of Louis Vuitton and Lanvin.
In the fashion world, we can also see that DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen have made appearances as fashion models on the runways. In addition, Malcom Jenkins and Russell Wilson have founded their own fashion brands.
These NFL players have successfully made an impact in fashion, but that doesn’t take away from the appeal of watching them carry out their main job on the field. Looking at current offers for NFL fans, we find that prediction market platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi include contracts for upcoming games. This includes the Washington Commanders vs the Minnesota Vikings on December 27, where Diggs and Jefferson could come face to face. The NFC Championship winner market has the LA Rams ahead of both franchises, with an implied probability of 17% at the time of writing.
Movies and Entertainment
We’ve also seen an increasing trend of NFL athletes moving into movie and TV acting. Rather than the type of unscripted cameo that sports stars often featured in previously, they are appearing in more substantial, scripted roles.
Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has made the move into the likes of Westworld and Murderville, although fans still remember him fondly for his 2011 Beast Quake touchdown that’s described on the Seahawks site.
Current players find it more difficult to combine an acting career with playing the game, although Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs has appeared in Grotesquerie and Happy Gilmore 2. Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Joey Bosa of the Buffalo Bills both famously appeared in a battle scene in Game of Thrones.
The NFL is also becoming more popular across the planet while retaining its core American audience. Over 126 million people watched Super Bowl LX at the start of the year. With this level of popularity, it’s easy to see why the most popular players are becoming ever more visible in other parts of popular culture.
