The Most Followed NFL Players on Instagram
With the 2024-25 NFL season about ready to kick off, NFL athletes have become incredibly popular figures on social media. Instagram, in particular, has become a key platform for these athletes to connect with their followers. In this blog post, we highlight the top 10 most followed NFL players on Instagram in the Captiv8 database as of September 5th, 2024, to get yourself acquainted with some of the most iconic athletes in the game.
1. Odell Beckham Jr. – 17.5M Followers
Ever since Odell Beckham Jr.’s rookie year, he has been an electrifying fan favorite. Commonly referred to as OBJ, he is known for his spectacular playmaking abilities, fashion, and much more. OBJ has become an athlete who has transcended solely on-the-field popularity and become a mainstream media household name.
2. Travis Kelce – 6.7M Followers
Another athlete who has become a mainstream media household name is none other than Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce. Although he has long been a notable NFL superstar, in recent years, Kelce has really expanded his public following. With the incredible growth of his podcast, New Heights, which has reached #1 on the charts on numerous occasions, Kelce’s stardom has continued to rise. However, it would be remiss if we did not mention who Kelce is currently in a relationship with. Undoubtedly, one of the largest contributing factors in Kelce’s rising stardom occurred in the last year when he began publicly dating global pop icon, Taylor Swift.
3. Patrick Mahomes – 6.7M Followers
Third on the list is Patrick Mahomes, who is widely regarded as the best quarterback and arguably the best player in the league at the moment. Having already won three Super Bowl championships and two MVP awards, it’s difficult to have any other opinion of the reigning Super Bowl champion. Thanks to his on-field performances and popularity, Mahomes has branded partnerships with State Farm, DICK’s Sporting Goods, Essentia Water, and Head & Shoulders among many others.
4. Russell Wilson – 5.6M Followers
Next on the list is another former Super Bowl champion, Russell Wilson who is currently the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wilson is well-known for his time with the Seattle Seahawks where he was a nine-time pro bowler. Wilson is also well-known for being the spouse of popular singer and songwriter, Ciara.
5. Joe Burrow – 4.1M Followers
With over 4M Instagram followers, Joe Burrow is fifth on the list. The former Heisman trophy winner in college has cemented himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL helping lead the Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in 2022. Burrow has branded partnerships with Kroger, Body Armor, and Guinness among many others.
6. Lamar Jackson – 3.5M Followers
Next on the list of the most followed NFL players on Instagram is another former Heisman trophy winner but more notably the reigning league MVP, Lamar Jackson. Since entering the league, Jackson has managed to win two MVP awards as the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens. With over 3.5M followers on Instagram, Jackson’s stellar on-field performances have extended to his endorsements with a diverse portfolio including brands like Nike, Gatorade, T-Mobile, and many others.
7. JuJu Smith-Schuster – 3.1M Followers
Coming in seventh on the list is Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster. He is best known on the field for his performances with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he became a social media sensation on TikTok. Smith-Schuster now has over 3.5M followers on TikTok along with over 51.1M total likes on his account.
8. Christian McCaffrey – 2.6M Followers
Widely regarded as the best running back in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey is the eighth most followed NFL player on Instagram. The San Francisco 49ers running back is married to former Miss Universe, Olivia Culpo who has gone on to become a social media personality as well as model and actress. A few of McCaffrey’s recent brand deals include Gillette, Body Armor, and Jo Malone London.
9. Tyreek Hill – 2.6M Followers
Next on the list is Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The former Super Bowl champion is also an eight-time pro bowler and five-time first-team all-pro. The electrifying receiver is also well-known for his Twitch streams where he is well-known for streaming Fortnite and Madden gameplay to his audience.
10. Saquon Barkley – 2.5M Followers
The 10th most-followed NFL player on Instagram is Philadelphia Eagles running back, Saquon Barkley. Prior to this year, Barkley had spent his entire professional career with the New York Giants after attending Penn State in college. Some of Barkley’s recent branded partnerships include Old Spice, Intuit QuickBooks, Silk, and Totino’s Pizza Rolls.
Discover the Most Followed NFL Players on Instagram
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About Captiv8
Captiv8 is a full-service influencer marketing solution that redefines end-to-end, inspiring you to think bigger, enabling you to plan smarter, and empowering you to execute better. Additionally, through our intuitive workflow, brands can uncover actionable insights on trends, discover and vet influencers, seamlessly activate campaigns at scale, amplify branded content across the digital ecosystem, and prove business impact through our measurement dashboard. Our platform gives you the tools you need to build relationships and effective content, while our teams lend experiences and strategic services to steer you clear of common influencer marketing pitfalls. Interested in learning more? Take a platform tour today!
