When I was growing up, baseball was America’s most popular sport. That has changed dramatically and today the National Football League (NFL) has more TV viewers than baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer combined. An average of 70,000 spectators attend each game and there are nearly 17.5 million tv viewers per game. The NFL’s championship game, the Super Bowl, is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world. This years game was seen in the U.S. alone by 127.7 million viewers.
If you have a message that you want to get out to a massive audience, this is a great platform for that. So, Christians should be elated by the fact that many key figures in the sport openly gave God the glory and used their time in the spotlight to share their testimonies to the huge audience that the NFL offers.
The NFL’s long season ended on the second Sunday in February with the Philadelphia Eagles dominating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX. After the game faith was a prominent theme.
Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni immediately credited the Lord while accepting the Lombardi Trophy after the big game. “All glory to God,” Sirianni said. “God’s blessed us very much. He gave us all the talents to be able to get here, so first and foremost, thanks to Him. … Thank God, thank You Jesus.”
Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after completing two touchdowns and 17 of the 22 passes, also praised God for the victory.
“God is good—He’s greater than all the highs and the lows,” Hurts said as he took home the Pete Rozelle Trophy. “My faith has always been a part of me. I’ve always wanted to root myself in that and keep Him in the center of my life and everything that I do. So through the highs and the lows, He’s greater than all of them, and that’s something that I can always acknowledge.”
Both the Eagles and Chiefs had numerous players that spoke out about their faith. Here are just a few.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stated, “It’s not about football, it’s just giving glory to God for being able to walk around and live my life, to have a beautiful family, to be able to have the impact on others and I’m going to use that stage and that platform win or lose to give glory back to Him, to hopefully bring others closer to Him and that they can have the same love for life that I have because of that.”
Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson spoke about seeking the Lord’s guidance each and every day. “Each day and especially each game I just say ‘God use me for Your glory’ and that doesn’t mean winning football games always but just to be in a position and this platform and knowing it’s by His grace and His providence is just, is just know that He’s treating me much better than anything I deserve,” he said.
Chiefs’ kicker, Harrison Butker, stated that his faith is “the most important thing” in his life. The team prays together before each game, and head coach Andy Reid leads the team in the Lord’s Prayer after each game. Butker says, “I think we just have a very Christian team. The more Jesus the better.”
This season, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley broke Terrell Davis’ rushing record with a total of 2504 yards. Barkley has been outspoken about his Christian faith. “I read the Bible a lot because that’s how I fight my problems. I’m not trying to stand up here and be a perfect guy because I’m not; nobody is. But I just lean heavily on my faith and try to let [God] direct my paths.” He also shared that his favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:18, which he paraphrased as “The pain you have been feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming.”
Even before the playoffs began, there was a noticeable increase in the number of players who boldly shared their faith in Jesus Christ, a sure sign that the NFL’s culture is changing. Many of these players are quarterbacks – the leaders of their teams.
Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins has been publicly giving glory to Jesus Christ for much of his life, including at the beginning of his NFL career in 2012. Having played for three teams during his 13-year career and enduring a potentially career-ending injury in 2023, Cousins reveals that his ultimate hope and joy are not in fame or money, but in Jesus. While he is still working hard at achieving the ultimate NFL goal of winning a Super Bowl, Cousins says that he is using his platform to “point to that which is more important and eternal.”
San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy, also openly talks about his Christian faith, saying, “God has always given me opportunities. I put my faith and trust in Him and He’s gotten me where I’m at . … You’ve taken me here and, win or lose, I’m going to glorify you. That’ s my peace, my joy, my steadfastness. That’s where I get it from, and that’s the honest truth.”
Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback and NFL MVP candidate, Lamar Jackson, posted on X: “Lord God, you will be with us when we take a stand for you in faith. When we defy the world’s standards and refuse to fit in with the surrounding culture, we may pay a price. But we, like Daniel’s three friends, must resolve not to bow to idols even if you do not rescue us from resultant suffering or even death. But we know that you can always deliver us and trust you will work all things together for our good. Amen.”
Houston Texans’ quarterback, C.J. Stroud, grabbed headlines when he prayed with his mom and sister on the sideline before their AFC South playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers on January 12. He, too, has beautifully expressed how much his faith in Christ impacts him. “A lot of people don’t get to live the life I do. It’s hard, don’t get me wrong. It’s hard, but it’s a privilege. … I try to do my best to thank God through all that ’cause His grace and His mercy, and He laid his life on the cross for us … and I really believe that. … This is bigger than just ball. And if I have to use football for my purpose to spread the gospel and the life of Jesus Christ, then I’ll do that, and I think that’s what God wants.”
Washington Commanders’ quarterback, Jayden Daniels, recently described how he’s leaned on God in college and now in the NFL. “Jesus died on the cross for us; anything is possible with Him. Coming back out here, trying to figure out my life, I wanted to stop trying to put so much pressure on me and just give everything to God, letting Him take care of it.”
We should all be encouraged by the powerful work that God is doing in the NFL. Players and coaches are boldly speaking the truth, sharing God’s love, and being salt and light in a hurting and confused world. Let’s pray that the move of God we are seeing in the NFL will spread out across the country and we will soon experience a great spiritual awakening as a result of it.