The NFL is the most popular sport in the United States with the league reporting that in the 2022-23 season 185 million fans watched games qt some point during the 18 weeks. Whilst it is of course the incredible feats of athleticism and exciting sporting competition that keeps them there, many fans are reeled in through the storylines and moments within the NFL.
There is breaking news week in, week out in the NFL whether the stories are shocking, interesting, informative or fun. This past year has been no different so lets take a look at the viral NFL stories of 2023.
Packers trade Aaron Rodgers to the Jets
Aaron Rodgers’ trade to the New York Jets back in April was not just one of the most viral stories of the year but one of the biggest trades in recent history. Having been a cheesehead for 17 years, winning a Super Bowl and becoming a four-time MVP, Rodgers’ future was up in the air during the offseason. Many suspected he may retire, with few being able to think of him in any jersey other than the iconic green and yellow of the Packers. However, the quarterback ended up giving an emotional goodbye to Lambeau Field when a trade was agreed with the Jets that included Jets’ first, second (via Cleveland) and sixth-round selections in the 2023 draft and a conditional second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. The announcement of the trade garnered major attention on social media with the official NFL account’s announcement tweet registering 50,000 likes and 4.4 million views. The move catapulted the Jets up in the NFL odds for the Super Bowl winners at the culmination of this season.
Chiefs Super Bowl rings reveal and Kelce Mic’d up
The importance of social media for creating a brand and keeping in touch with your fanbase is not lost on the Chiefs. They are juggernauts on Tik Tok, boasting 3.2 million followers, more than any other team in the league. It is perhaps no surprise that they are so successful on Tik Tok when you learn that they have an entire team dedicated to their efforts on the video hosting social media app. Two of their biggest posts came in the summer of this year. In June, the entire Chiefs roster attended a Super Bowl ring reveal event following their win over the Philadelphia Eagles at LVII. The video focuses on star players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce opening up their trophies and currently sits on 11.5 million views and 955,000 likes. A couple of months later, Kelce yet again starred in a massive viral tik tok when he was mic’d up during training. His hilarious quips were a hit with the video on 12.1 million views and a whopping 1.7 million likes.
Taylor Swift attends her first Chiefs game with Mama Kelce
There seems to be a trend here. Rumors swirled back in September that Chiefs’ Tight End Kelce was dating the pop-singing megastar Taylor Swift. These rumors were solidified when she was pictured in the VIP lounge alongside Donna Kelce, affectionally nicknamed momma Kelce by sons Travis and Jason, at Arrowhead where the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears 41-10. Kelce was at the top of his game as he usually is on that night and the multi-platinum selling artist went wild for his touchdown. This led to multiple viral moments across all socials with the Chiefs official Instagram account posting a video of her celebration that has currently garnered nearly 680,000 likes. The power couple are sure to carry on making viral moments as Trav continues to perform.
Ja’Marr Chase is always open
The Cincinnati Bengals have had somewhat of a rocky start to the 2023 NFL season, though star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is still at the top of his game. In week four, Chase was unhappy with the team’s performance in their loss to the Tennessee Titans which led to a rant in which he claimed to be ‘always f***ing open’. In the press conference he added “Excuse my profanity” but it was clear Chase had a point he wanted to prove and in week five he did just that. Number 1 scored a hattrick of touchdowns in their 34-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals with nearly 200 yards off of 15 receptions. In response, the 2021 offensive rookie of the year tweeted a simple picture of a 7/11… because it’s always f***ing open! The tweet did not need any explanation and fans immediately cottoned on with it currently sitting on nearly 75,000 likes. As well as being one of the most elite receivers in the league, Chase is full of personality which shines through in all of his socials.
